President chronicles how his clan fled to Zambia
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday chronicled how the Mnangagwa clan moved from Zvishavane communal areas to Zambia during the colonial era when he and his siblings were still teenagers.
The President who was giving his graveside eulogy at the burial of his nephew, Mr Nicholas Mafidhi Mnangagwa in Chirumanzu resettlement areas said the whole Mnangagwa clan was forced to flee the country and relocate to Zambia in the early 1950s after his forefathers protested against the settler’s injustices by removing a wheel from one of the settler’s cars.
He said the protests that forced the settler to spend a night in the open guarding his car resulted in the arrest of his forefathers forcing the whole clan to then flee the country.
“In the early 1950s, we migrated from Zvishavane to Zambia, the whole Mnangagwa clan because our fore fathers had protested against some settlers,” said the President.
He said during that time there were young settlers who would move around downsizing the villagers’ cattle herd, a move that triggered the protests in Zvishavane.
“On the day in question, a white settler, young in his early 20s, who was responsible for dipping our cattle in Mapanzure communal area started the downsizing exercise.
“My forefathers were local traditional leaders but they were supposed to take the settler’s instructions. He then ordered that one of our grandmothers who had five beasts, down size and remain with only three,” said the President.
He said the order triggered protests with his forefathers opting to remove the settler’s car wheel.
They then said because you said our grandmother should remain with only three beasts so you can also drive back your car with three wheels and see if that was possible,” said the President, sending mourners into laughter.
The President said the following morning the settler had his wheel restored after the intervention of the police that culminated into a meeting with the local traditional leadership.
“Those who were responsible and participated in the protest were our forefathers so they got themselves into trouble. We were later forced to flee to Zambia where one of our aunts was living and we then settled in Modisha, running away from the settler’s wrath,” he said. President Mnangagwa said it was in Zambia where he was then given responsibility by his father to take care of the late Mr Nicholas Mnangagwa who was still a toddler then.
“This is how we moved to Zambia and this man whom we are burying today was still a toddler.
“One day when we were in Zambia, my father said I should take care of the boy when he is gone and I kept the promise. Till his death I never told him that the reason he grew up under my care was because of my father’s directive,” he said.