San Community hails the President for living up to his philosophy

By a Correspondent
AS President Emmerson Mnangagwa marks five years since his inauguration, the San Community in Matabeleland North has hailed the Zimbabwean living up to his philosophy, of “leaving no one and no place behind.”
For years, the San community has been marginalised with most of them without identification documents which prevented them from attending school.
This changed after the coming of the Second Republic when President Mnangagwa last year deployed an inter-ministerial committee to visit the area and come up with solutions to their problems.
As part of a cocktail of measures, officials from the registry department deployed to Tsholotsho and issued identity documents to more than 5000 people and the construction of schools in the area is in progress.
A waiver was introduced for members of the San Community to join the security forces which saw 20 youths becoming the first members of the San Community graduating at the Prison Services pass-out parade at the Ntabazinduna Prison Training School in Umguza, Matabeleland North.
In November, the President appointed Christopher Dube as the inaugural Chief Goledema for the San community in Tsholotsho District following his recommendation by members of his community.
The chieftaincy is named after Dube’s grandfather, a rainmaker and traditional healer famed for fighting colonial rule.
Before Dube’s appointment, the San Community, located on the outskirts of Tsholotsho and Bulilima district in Matabeleland South were distributed under the Ndebele and Kalanga chieftaincies.
Chief Mtshane Khumalo of Bubi district, Matabeleland North and the deputy president of the chiefs council said they were ready to work with the new chief.
“The San community has been isolated for a long time and the appointment of a chief is a great move by the Government and will promote development and economic growth for the San communities,” he said.
Reacting to the Dube’s appointment, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said:
“We are witnessing development among the San and following the appointment of a chief, it is going to scale up since they now have someone who will be their voice,” he said.
“As it is, development had already started taking shape before the San community had a chief. The people had no identification documents. However, I am glad that right now everyone has documents and their children are now going to school.”