“We are not going to allow MDC-T members to wear red berets because that reminds Matabeleland residents of the Gukurahundi onslaught. Certainly we do not want to make people cry when our party represents peace,” said the youth chairman for Bulawayo Province, Bekithemba Nyathi.
But the decision did not go down well with some party members who were involved in designing the berets as a self-help project. Also some youths who had sewn red dresses to match the berets were disappointed.
“Bekithemba was supposed to tell us about the ban before we spent our money on material,” said one youth who asked not to be identified.
The wearing of red berets is an emotional issue in Matabeleland. Like the Zimbabwe National Army’s military police, Mugabe’s notorious Fifth Brigade wore red berets.
Post published in: News