Plans for a statue of a leader of the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe have been branded an insult to the victims of massacres ordered by president Robert Mugabe.

Joshua Nkomo fought alongside Mugabe to overthrow white minority rule in Rhodesia, but after independence the pair fell out. Thousands of people were killed by government forces in Nkomo's political base, Matabeleland (pdf).

Supporters of Nkomo, dubbed "Father Zimbabwe", have long claimed that his part in the struggle is marginalised in histories written by Mugabe's Zanu-PF.

One remedy seemed to be a statue of Nkomo, who led the Zapu party and died in 1999. But friends and allies object to its proposed location at the Karigamombe centre in the capital, Harare, and have threatened to tear it down.

They say the name Karigamombe, meaning one who takes the bull by the horns, has associations with the Mugabe family. One objector told the Guardian that the building, formerly the Piccadilly centre, was used to run operations during the Matabeleland massacres, or "Gukurahundi", in the 1980s, when Mugabe's men attacked Nkomo's Zapu supporters.

"The massacres were directed from this building," said Max Mkandla, of the Liberators Peace Initiative, whose father was among the dead. "The orders were originating from meetings there and it is associated with Robert Mugabe and his family. It is not a befitting place for a statue of Nkomo.

"Joshua Nkomo would feel bad if he knew his statue was there. He originated in Matabeleland and the statue must be kept in Matabeleland."

Zimbabwe's government sparked protests earlier this year when it invited the North Korean football team to Matabeleland before the World Cup in neighbouring South Africa. North Korea trained the notorious Fifth Brigade, which helped to perpetrate Gukurahundi. The footballers' visit was eventually scrapped.

Nkomo's family has also criticised the plans for a statue. His nephew Dumisani Nkomo told Zimbabwe's NewsDay newspaper: "The decision would be interpreted as an insult to the family, especially when one looks at the history of what Karigamombe stands for."

Dumiso Dabengwa, interim president of Zapu, added that the idea had been dragging on for years. "Nkomo's statue was supposed to be erected a long time ago in Bulawayo and Harare," he told NewsDay. "In Bulawayo a street was identified but the previous Zanu-PF government did not act on the resolutions made. These delays are trivialising the sacrifice Nkomo made for the liberation of Zimbabwe."

Dabengwa also complained about a lack of events to mark the anniversary of Nkomo's death on 1 July. "The fact that they did not even hold a gala for Nkomo reflects the disrespect that the government has for Nkomo. He was a great man and he deserves to be treated much better than this."

George Mlala, a Zanu-PF official in Bulawayo, disputed the claims. "The country does remember Joshua Nkomo but the economy does not permit major commemorations," he said. "The government was aware of it but there is not enough money to hire bands and organise a gala."

The battle for the former vice-president's legacy continues 11 years after his death. The Standard reported that his son has called for his father's remains to be dug up from National Heroes' Acre in Harare for reburial in his family's home village.

Sibangilizwe Nkomo claimed that in his final days Joshua Nkomo complained bitterly about the direction the country was taking. "My father said he had tried to mould him [Mugabe] into a proper leader but he feared that his efforts were to no avail," he said.

By The Guardian UK

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