Own Correspondent

MDC ALLIANCE leader, Nelson Chamisa has come under fire for questioning government’s prioritization of the memorial statue for Mbuya Nehanda.

Chamisa criticised the government’s move to erect the statue in Harare when the country should be putting priorities towards building infrastructure.

Zanu PF Director for Information and Publicity, Tafadzwa Mugwadi who obviously failed to understand Chamisa’s sentiments had no kind words for him for what he described as a disgraceful demeaning of the country’s heroes and heroines.

“By virtue of disrespecting our founding heroes like Mbuya Nehanda, Chamisa has demonstrated a high level of immaturity, and his true colours that the MDC Alliance worships their western masters who imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. His utterances demeaning the dead are nonsensical and rendered him a nonentity who lacks qualities of a leader,” he said.

Former MDC Alliance spokesperson Obert Gutu who has found new love with the ZANU PF system said by attacking the dead, Chamisa had stooped too low.

“Such sentiments which Chamisa made have no place in our African culture, even in all progressive countries internationally, leaders there respect their founding heroes and statue of heroes are worldwide be it in Russia, USA, among others. So it is shocking and disrespectful of Chamisa uttering that, we know in our Zimbabwean culture that is the norm that “Wafa Anaka” so it is disturbing to have Chamisa misfiring like that, this should be condemned with the seriousness it deserves,” added advocate Gutu.”

Speaking in his e-rally organised by the party on Sunday, Chamisa criticised the government timing on the setting up of the monument.

“I heard this government wants to build the statue of the late heroine of the First Chirimurenga, Ambuya Nehanda,” Chamisa said.

“It shows that people are wired wrongly. This is inappropriate to build the statue.

“You are telling us that you want to commit state resources to build a statue instead of putting money and effort into building buildings and infrastructure.

“But you are thinking of building a statue, that’s wrong priorities!”

Chamisa added: “Our (MDC) government will honour heroes but will not worship any human beings. We will not worship the dead.

“We will honour all our national heroes and that honour will bestowed to those deserving.

“Under our government, heroes will not be selected by a political party but by an independent and impartial body.

“All national heroes from all sectors will be honoured.

“We cannot have a heroes acre of politicians, especially some of the politicians with questionable credentials.”

Last week, government reported that work on the Mbuya Nehanda memorial statue had started at the corner of Julius Nyerere Way and Samora Machel Avenue in Harare.

Nehanda was hanged on 27 April 1902.