BY SILAS NKALA
NDEBELE throne claimant Stanley Raphael Khumalo-Tshuma has called off his proposed invasion of the Bulawayo State House, claiming that State security agents are planning to unleash violence on him.
In a letter dated May 12 addressed to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Khumalo-Tshuma threatened to lead Matabele people living in South Africa back to the country and settle at the Bulawayo State House from where he will revive the kingdom.
Khumalo-Tshuma calls himself King Mzilikazi II, and his crusade was supposed to start from Johannesburg on May 28 and arrive in Bulawayo yesterday.
His initial plan was to address the nation about the free and independent State of Mthwakazi yesterday soon after arrival.
But in an audio message on Friday, Khumalo-Tshuma, who also claims to be the commander-in-chief of the Royal Kingdom of Mthwakazi, hailed the people of Matabeleland for supporting his May 12 announcement, before advising them of the withdrawal of the plan.
“I know that you were looking forward to the work of tomorrow (Saturday) and I want to thank you for that. I, therefore, want to announce this which will sadden you. We have decided to stop the work we planned for tomorrow. What is happening is that we got intelligence that there is serious violence planned against us by the police and security sector, especially against me and my wife,” he said.
He alleged that the planned onslaught could be the same as that which happened during the 1980s Gukurahundi genocide.
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Khumalo-Tshuma said it was clear that government was not prepared to free Matabeleland and wanted war instead.
“This work came to me from Jesus, he did not tell me to free people through war. I apologise to you that the planned work will no longer take place. But now you know the truth, that when we try to rise up, they beat us,” he added.
Khumalo-Tshuma also said he was not fighting other Ndebele kingdom claimants like Bulelani Khumalo and dethroned Nyamandlovu chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, who criticised his move.
He said he was only doing the work of God to set free the Mthwakazi people.
Last week, Bulelani’s office advised Ndebele people to disregard Khumalo-Tshuma’s crusade.
In March, during a Zanu PF rally in Binga, Mnangagwa warned all those pushing for secession in the country to stop if they wanted to live long.
- Follow Silas on Twitter @silasnkala
