BULAWAYO - Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa has slammed Zanu PF for displaying “irrational fear” of being exposed for stealing late nationalist Joshua Nkomo’s ideas.

He said Zanu PF maligned Nkomo but then moved to “steal” his ideas on land reform and indigenisation which they went on to implement haphazardly.

Reacting to a police ban of the Joshua Nkomo memorial lecture which was supposed to be held in Bulawayo last Thursday, Dabengwa said there were certain people within Zanu PF bent on ensuring that events related to Nkomo were derailed “at whatever cost”. The lecture was being organised by the Daily News.

Dabengwa, who was expected to be the headline panellist and had already prepared comprehensive presentation notes for the event, described the ban as a misdirected order from Zanu PF.

“You actually don’t need a witch doctor to tell you why the forum was banned. Anything to do with Nkomo seems to be a threat.

“This was just an open forum for discussing various issues which actually affect people’s lives in the country. But someone for some reasons chose to ban it at the last minute.”

Dabengwa, who is now leading a revived Zapu, said some Zanu PF people felt threatened by his presence at the forum for fear he was bound to rekindle the suppressed “Umdala Wethu” legacy. He accused Zanu PF of double speak.

“Why should anyone in his right senses go around and make Joshua Nkomo a hero and talk good things about him and at the same time he hates him, to the extent of stopping people from reading his book about his own life and go and praise him and say he was such a great man but don’t read his book?” Dabengwa queried, referring to the ban on the free distribution of Nkomo’s book.

Dabengwa, a former minister of Home Affairs and Zanu PF politburo member, said he was convinced officer commanding Bulawayo Province Dani Rangwani was not to blame for the ban as he was just acting on instructions from his bosses in Harare.

“Honestly should the nation suffer because an idea came from Joshua Nkomo?

“He is dead and what is wrong in giving credit to his efforts? This is all meant to ensure that Nkomo’s legacy is completely erased and that there is nothing to talk about,” Dabengwa added.