The Sunday Mail
Last month in this paper I wrote about a National Shared Vision as the basis of nation-building for unity, peace and development; and that such vision was the one Unity Accord signed by Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo on behalf of our two revolutionary parties and the people of Zimbabwe.
The response from the public was and still is overwhelming nationwide.
Of late it is most unfortunate that some people want to turn that great national vision of unity into a nightmare. Is it because Dr Nkomo, Dr Joseph Msika and Dr John Landa Nkomo passed on?
We negotiated the Unity Accord in good revolutionary faith as liberators of our nation.
Black Umfolosi say “unity is ever important”.
Efforts to torpedo the Unity Accord were made by some people when Cde Joseph Msika took over Dr Nkomo’s position as Vice-President, and when Cde John Nkomo came on board as National Chairman; as well as when we nominated Cde Simon Khaya Moyo as National Chairman.
We corrected that with the support of the revolutionary party’s Provincial Co-ordinating Committees and all people of Zimbabwe.
Dr Joshua Nkomo on his death bed said to President Mugabe:
1. Keep the unity of our people;
2. Take the land for the people’s settlement and farming;
3. Empower people economically; and
4. Take control of the national natural resources.
One thing that is certain is that we are all equal in this unity.
Under General Josh, ZIPRA commander-in-chief, and ZANLA under Cde Mugabe, we formed the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, which have protected our great nation and remained united.
Unity means mutual respect and availing equitable access to our shared national resources.
The Unity Accord document is like a marriage certificate.
Does a marriage certificate put in writing everything that should be done by those married to make the marriage work? We would like to put an end to debating our ZANU-PF concerns in newspapers, particularly the private ones, which distort facts.
Why rush to the Press?
Let us also not bring our President’s name into disrepute by claiming that the President said there was no written agreement on this and that and that bonds of unity between him and Dr Nkomo are over, and those who did not belong to PF-ZAPU can take over, thus negating the Unity Accord.
I once attended a ZANU-PF meeting where the master of ceremonies did the slogan “Pamberi ne ZANU-PF!”. Members responded – “Pamberi!”. And he said, “Pamberi ne ZANU-PF chaiyo-chaiyo!”
I did not respond because I was told that “ZANU-PF chaiyo-chaiyo” means ZANU-PF without PF-ZAPU.
This is dangerous and reckless and cannot be tolerated.
King Mzilikazi and Lobengula prosecuted wars and gave unwritten commands which were followed. We joined the war and received unwritten military commands for action, these were not written down.
Where did Mbuya Nehanda write that “Mapfupa angu achamuka” and where was the declaration of the Chimurenga, Impi Yomvukela, written?
A person should be a man/woman of his/her word and should be trusted.
What makes a person dependable and reliable is what is called dialect critical thinking. Dialect thinking is the capability to know the past history and to relate it to the present without undermining the past.
Critical thinking is the capability for self-criticism and what Comrade Mao called self-rectification. One must be a disciplined thinker to avoid impetuous statements, which we call “ukuphahluka” or “kupashuka”.
Let us therefore know our Unity Accord history and cherish it.
We must remain united and seriously re-organise our revolutionary party properly and procedurally according to the ZANU-PF constitution.
Let us have a strong party because without a united and strong people-centred party there cannot be a strong Government.
Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu is a veteran nationalist who entered politics in 1957, and who has served as a minister in the Government of Zimbabwe. He has written more than 30 monographs and books on education and politics. Dr Ndlovu is presently ZANU-PF National Secretary for Education in the Politburo
