Harare — A fierce controversy has erupted over the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, or more precisely, his remains in the country which was once called by his name, Rhodesia. What will the outcome be?
At his burial in the rocks of the picturesque Matobo Hills, a site he had personally chosen for himself, an epitaph to Cecil John Rhodes written by renowned poet Rudyard Kipling was read out.
Part of the last verse, which now forms part of the inscription of Rhodes' grave says: "The immense and brooding spirit still shall quicken and control. Living, he was the land, and dead, his soul shall be her soul."
Kipling was no doubt moved by benign visions of a great civilised nation evolving from the jungles which Rhodes' benevolence and expansionist ideals had just opened up as part of his dream to build a railway form Cape to Cairo when he wrote that epitaph in 1902.
Now, nearly 100 years after his death, the immense and brooding spirit may not exactly be in control, but it certainly is causing a big stir. At issue is what to do with Thodes' remains, which lie just outside Bulawayo.
Early in August, a militant pressure group calling itself Sangano Munhumutapa, after the great Chief Manhumutapa who once ruled an empire
covering most of what is now Zimbabwe, gave notice that it intended to exhume Rhodes' remains.
"One morning the nation will wake up to find the nation shrine (Matobo Hills) cleansed of the Whitman's grave which is mockery to the traditional importance attached to the place," declared Sangano's president, Lawrence Chakaredza, who has been nicknamed "warlord".
Chakaredza claimed that he had made it clear "to the British" during a recent visit to the United Kingdom that his organisation was going to throw Rhodes' remains into the Zambezi River if they failed "to come and collect them." He could not say exactly who among "the British he had discussed the matter with.
Sangano's threat provoked an immediate response from the country's director of national Museums and Monuments, Dawson Munjeri, who warned that if the group's members attempted to exhume Rhodes, "they will be arrested".
"That would be a violation of the National Museum and Monuments Act." Said Munjeri. Rhodes' grave is officially a national monument. The land surrounding it was also declared a National Park the Matopos National villagers living in areas bordering the park were sounded out by the Bulawayo-based Daily Newspaper, The Chronicle. With only a few expectations, most of those interviewed over the issue were opposed to the plans to exhume Rhodes' remains, if perhaps for selfish reasons.
Referring to put bread before sentimentality the villagers are objecting to the removal of the grave an act, which they said was tantamount to taking bread out mouths. Most of them survive on selling traditional artifacts to hordes of tourists who flock to see Rhodes's grave every day.
"If Rhodes' grave is removed, no tourists will come here anymore and without tourists we won't be able to earn the Z$900 we are making on average daily from selling sculptures, baskets, mats and wall hangings. Whoever thinks he can give us each that much everyday can go ahead and remove the grave," fumed 76 year old Mloyiswo Moyo.
Added another villager: "Whoever wants to remove that grave must first tell us what alternative source of livelihood they have lined up for us since this area is arid and the rainfall erotic."
However, one of the few dissenting villagers, 68 year old Ford Moyo said, "Those saying Rhodes' grave must be removed have a point. I believe we are entitled to that land which is now called a national park because our ancestors are buried there".
The grave issue has provoked debate in the local press, which is unprecedented. The letters page in The Chronicle seldom carries less than two letters on the subject daily from both white and black readers, most of the opposed to the exhumation of the remains. They point out that without his money was used to build a railway to this country and setting up other infrastructure the country would probably still be a jungle.
Others also point out that the Rhodes Scholarship, which he set up with his own money, has benefited hundreds of Zimbabweans by enabling them to study at Oxford University where he himself obtained an MA
But Sangano is by no means short of supporters. Vukani Mahlahezulu, a
Ndebele-based culture revival pressure group, has thrown its full weight behind the Shona-based Sangano Munhumutapa. Said its spokesman 60-year old George Moyo, "This is a historical mistake which must be corrected. The government has overlooked this mistake. It must act."
Secretary General of the national black economic empowerment pressure group, the Affirmative Action Group's Caleb Chihota said, "We cannot tolerate the permanent residence of Rhodes' remains at Matopo Hills because he deceived people and took wealth."
President Mugabe has so far been silent on the issue. But his Home Affair Minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, whose ministry is in charge of national museums and monuments has said, "Those who are complaining about Rhodes' remains know who the custodians of these monuments are and they can raise their grievances by making necessary applications."
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Cecil John Rhodes, after whom southern and northern Rhodesia were named, was born in Hertforshire, England on July 5 1853. The son of the vicar at Bishop's Startford, he had an atrial septal defect, a hole in the heart, for which undiagnosed condition he was sent to the sun of Southern Africa at the age of seventeen.
Within ten years he was controlling half of the diamond industry in South Africa. Eight years later, he controlled the whole industry. He was a millionaire and a Member of Parliament in the then Cape Province, and eventually became Prime Minister.
He was an idealist to whom money was merely a means to an end. He was fanatically dedicated to the expansion of the British Empire, hence his vision of a railway from the Cape to Cairo. His idealism drove him into taking bold and audacious action such as the formation of British South Africa Company, which he sent to colonise southern and northern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia respectively), a feat which has seldom been matched anywhere.
His life story was brilliantly acted out in an eight-part BBC docu- drama series simply title, "Rhodes." It masterfully illustrated his many-sided complex character, a series which was screened on Zimbabwe television last year.
