About U-Mhlahlo
U-Mhlahlo we Sizwe sika Mthwakazi (U-Mhlahlo) is the community based, civic Organization of Mthwakazi which is fighting for the abolition of the “Rule by Conquest” of the Inter-Cultural Society of Mthwakazi and promotes its diverse cultural identity and the right of people to its symboitic nationality on the bases of equality and the right to self-determination. U-Mhlahlo was formed on 11 June 2006 at Amakhosi Cultural Village, at Makhokhoba Township, in Bulawayo. It was formed by the Activits from 29 community based civic groups, which consisted of political activists, cultural, religious, workers, students, women, youths, elderly people and some traditional leaders.
U Mhlahlo is an inborn child of the sponteneous underground movement in a territory which had been subjugated for the past 118 years under the ‘Rule by Conquest” consisting of 87 years of the racial domination from 1893 upto 1980 and 30 years of tribal domonation from 1980 to the present date. Its people are conquered, traumatized, displaced, exiled to fruitless lands concentration areas in the Native Reserves and subjected to be permanent forced and cheap labour that was permanently impoverished. Their region is underdeveloped, featuring lack of education, its people are denied the fundamental freedoms and human rights. Generally the territory features the everlasting reign of terror and deprivation situations which is characterized by oppression sychosis and the attitude of insecurity among its population.
The Emergence of U Mhlahlo
During the shocking impact of the 5th Brigade (Gukurahundi) after 1983 in which within six weeks, it had left thousands of civilians dead, hundreds of the homestead burnt and many others had been killed and tortured or desappeared. Most of them were killed in public executions, mutilated, some bodies were left to rot, others were thrown into old gold mines, others covered with bunches of trees and burnt, tortured, kidnapped and caused to disappear, while women were raped, other pregnant ones operated alive by barrels of guns, with the claims that the perpetrators were searching for the unborn babies of the dissident. The people of Mthwakazi sponteneously went uderground in various hideouts in the killing grounds. When the situation eventually cooled down. Slowly and secretly the people started coming up in twos, small groups, at hospitals, prisons, funerals, work places, wedding parties, prayer meetings, pulic transports or any other getherings; the people wispered trying to find out about the fate of others who were being unnoticed probable being dead, kidnaped, disappeared, jailed without a fair trial and so on. The consultations resulted with the formation of various groupings. These groupings systematically convergenced bringing together the victims and survivors of the Gukurahundi genocide. The small groups gradual grew into secret and larger formations, their communication spread among the multi-ethnic nationalites of Mthwakazi until after 23 years on 11 June 2006 when the 29 civic groups of activits resolved to move from the underground activities into a formal registered organization operating legal to solve the “Question of Mthwakazi” once and for all. Hence the birth of “U Mhlahlo we Sizwe sika Mtwakazi” the Community, civic Oganization is the voice of the conquered Inter-Cultural Society of Mthwakazi.
STAY SANE AND SAVAGE Gender activism, intellectual shamanism
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