Mugabe last week told delegates at the Hwange Colliery community share ownership launch in Matabeleland North that there is no region which is deliberately underdeveloped in the country contrary to the outcry by people in Matabeleland. He added that Mashonaland and other parts also need the infrastructure Matabeleland cry for.
However, in an interview, Ncube said Mugabe who in the past admitted the region had been devastated by Gukurahundi massacres which claimed lives of over 20 000, had shown that he is no longer repentant about that era.
"It is crystal clear that Matabeleland is marginalized. Mugabe himself is responsible for the deliberate marginalization of the region because he has presided over it for the past 32 years," said Prof Ncube.
He pointed at the present water crisis in Bulawayo and the failure of Government in the past three decades to rectify the issue is as the most clear indication of the plight of Matabelaland.
"Bulawayo is the second largest city and the capital of Matabeland. But you have a situation where there is water rationing for four days. What does that mean?" he asked.
Ncube said President Mugabe's government had all the time dating back to independence to address the matter but he simply ignored it.
"The Mthsabezi water pipeline project has been stalled. Nothing meaningfull has been done to make it the major source of water for Bulawayo. Other dams have also not been turned to be suppliers of water for the city. Then you say Matabeland is not marginalized. Is that the situation in Zvimba," said Ncube.
Post published in: News