Machingura, The Judas Iscariot episode in the Zimbabwean Religio-Political debate...ians’ bodies until they fell unconscious, intermittent arrests, torture of
civilians and systematic rape of young girls and older women. Some
marriages broke as a result of the rapes. Personal and ethnic differences
were also expressed in ‘patriots’ and ‘sell-outs’ discourse, and nationalist
guerillas’ summary executions of rural peasants regarded as ‘sell-outs’
informants of Rhodesian troops. Both sides used violent tactics against
the civilians.^37 It is, however, clear that, violence was the only justifiable
and liberative means for blacks to achieve independence and peace.
It is in this light that, labelling as an exclusionary tool is unfortunately
still being used in the present Zimbabwean national politics; causing a
lot of people particularly women labelled to withdraw and go under-
ground politically. Common labels still being used against opponents
are: ‘sell-out or being categorized as Central Intelligence Officer
(CIO)’.^38 The ‘sell out’ label is commonly used by all political parties
against opponents within or without the party to silence people or bully
them into submission.^39 The label ‘sell out’ can be likened to someone
who has been labelled a witch or wizard and the label usually sticks for
the worst. T O Ranger notes that,
The Africans began to search for ‘sell-outs’, those who had taken sides with
the whites. The confrontation between black and white had been diverted
into a search for the enemy within.....the search for ‘informers’ and ‘sell-
outs’ was accompanied in the religious sphere by a preoccupation with
(^37) N Kriger, ‘The Zimbabwean War of Liberation: Struggles Within Struggle‘, Journal of
Southern African Studies, Volume 14, Number 2, 1988, 304-322.
(^38) These common stereotypical labels used in the Zimbabwe religio-political dimension
also include party acronyms like ‘He/she is Racist, ZANU-PF or MDC’. If one is la-
beled as ZANU-PF when in actual fact is MDC, it becomes a label with consequences
from the grassroots support. Usually the option for the labeled person is withdrawing
or choosing to lie dormant on critical issues. The mentioning of somebody as ‘CIO
agent’ sends shivers and sweating to whoever is around. The CIO agents are alleged to
be ruthless with opponents or critics of President Robert Mugabe. The giving of such a
label on somebody conjures up bad memories, hatred and images of men in dark
glasses driving cars with tinted glasses and wearing dark suits. The interesting thing is
that, whether or not this is true or a false representation is left to a ‘Sangoma/ Tsika-
mutanda/ N’anga/ Prophet/ Prophetess/ man or woman of God’. It is neither here nor
there, but the obvious implication is that one’s credibility in the society at large or
party is politically or socially undermined and compromised. The politics of labeling
across political parties sadly breeds a retrogressive political culture and an intolerant
environment leading to conflicts, wars, brutal violence and permanent scars.
(^39) A Magaisa, Using Politics of Labelling to undermine Opponents, The Standard, 27
February 2010.