Zanu PF has directed the government to rename the country’s provinces to eliminate colonial-era names that contribute to division.
This decision was made at the 21st Annual National People’s Conference in Bulawayo, which concluded on Saturday.
“Regarding liberation war heritage, the party instructs the government to expedite the renaming of provinces to remove colonial names that divide the nation,” stated Zanu PF’s legal secretary, Cde Patrick Chinamasa.
Historian Mr. Methembe Hadebe praised the ruling party’s decision, calling it long overdue. “The colonial naming of provinces was a divide-and-rule tactic aimed at limiting people’s perspectives to ethnic boundaries,” he told The Chronicle.
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Mr. Hadebe added that renaming the provinces could foster national pride, moving people beyond ethnic identities. He emphasized that national projects would likely gain more support, as this approach promotes inclusivity and national heritage.
He also suggested that renaming the provinces should go hand-in-hand with revising the education curriculum to address historical inaccuracies.
Under colonial rule, provinces were named along ethnic lines, with southern areas designated as Matabeleland due to the predominance of Ndebele speakers, and northern areas as Mashonaland, reflecting the majority Shona-speaking populations in those regions.
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