Cherish Unity Accord

Let us all remain united with a great sense of joy and unfaltering national pride. We are a people today fully enjoying the right to self-determination and chart our own course in life. The day, 22 December, is written in indelible ink as the day on which unity came to this country. This is in commemoration of the Unity Accord signed between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu in 1987 to bring an end to political and civil conflicts within our nation.

This year’s Unity Day comes as the indigenisation programme gathers pace. Work is in progress for the implementation of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act (Chapter 14:33). The Government also gazetted the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment general regulations in Statutory Instrument 21 of 2010 last year.
The statutory instrument introduced indigenous and economic empowerment sector-specific committees as well as community ownership schemes. This is intended to ensure the broad-based empowerment of the people, while also ensuring that communities benefit from the natural endowments in their areas.

So far two community share ownership schemes have been launched — the Chegutu-Mhondoro-Ngezi-Zvimba Trust with Zimplats and the Tongogara Trust with Unki Mine and more are still to be launched.
This year’s Unity Day celebrations will be held under the theme, “Uniting for sovereignty, indigenisation and economic empowerment”.
This Unity Day, we need to ask ourselves what we can do to improve our country to make it the best place to live in. With the implementation of the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme which seeks to empower the majority of Zimbabweans, it is a shot in the arm to the citizens.

There are thousands of gallant sons and daughters of the soil who rose to the occasion and fought the Chimurenga/Umvukela wars. We attained our Independence in 1980, on 18 April as a result. We launched the land reform programme in 2000.
Now we have the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme which seeks to fully empower us Zimbabweans with what is rightfully ours. Some are still lagging behind saying “it is a political gimmick”.

Let us unite and move without fear and hesitation, let us all take our position and ask ourselves the values that we owe our country.
Let us look forward to a great future for Zimbabwe — a future in which our country will match its economic strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.
Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are — one nation, one people, under one God, indivisible with unity and patriotism.

The best way not to feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Let us not wait for good things to happen to us. If we go out and make some good things happen we will fill the world with hope. We will fill ourselves with hope. We need to be serious world citizens who are well known for taking the necessary risks towards arriving at the right places. Sitting back and enjoying the comfort of the hour will not assist humanity. There will be no results in our country if we remain seated on the same position.

As we approach our Unity Day, let us desist from divisive words, separatism and hate speech. Our Unity Accord resolved the conflict among Zimbabweans, despite race, language, and ethnicity. It is there to cement us towards the achievements of our national goals. United we stand and achieve, divided we fall and fail.
The enemies are trying by all means to sow the seeds of separatism. For example, we still have some leaders and people who are calling for a probe into Gukurahundi in Midlands and Matabeleland. A lot is being said calling for an inquiry. Other political parties are now making it their campaign tool. They need to re-visit the Unity Accord signed between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu by President Mugabe and the late

Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo. Their signatures were meant to bury the hatchet and launch the beginning of a new era, a new united Zimbabwe towards one purpose, total empowerment.
Zimbabwe needs problem-solvers who will make new discoveries that will take the nation to greater heights. Everyone has got the potential to transform things. Let us be challenged to improve our country by improving our immediate environment, where we belong. Let us take the indigenisation programme seriously, to fight the illegal economic sanctions that were imposed by the

Western people in retaliation to our land reform programme which we instituted in order to economically empower the majority Zimbabweans.
Despite the Western-imposed illegal economic sanctions, let us remain united and take our stand for it is our time. Let us improve those around us with investment of our personalities. Let us not look down upon ourselves as a nation. Let us pride ourselves as being top as a nation, really on the African ladder.

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
Greatness is always reserved for men and women who defy the odds and choose to bring out the best within them. The ideal will never come on a silver platter; hence we need to work tirelessly. We need to defy the comfort zone. Our President and leaders are preaching now and then, that “be your boss,” and “let’s take what is rightfully ours”.

Recently in Shurugwi during the launch of Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, Aaron Rusikira, described President Mugabe as the biblical Moses who preferred to suffer with the Israelites than to enjoy the little things in Egypt. President Mugabe, despite being slapped with sanctions and all criticisms by the West, has remained focused to suffer with the nation of Zimbabwe. We have to fight until we fully obtain what is rightful ours. Let us rally behind him.

There are immediate risks and costs. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. Zimbabweans by nature are optimistic. A Zimbabwean is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.

As we commemorate our Unity Day, let us join our hands with love and unity for development, as one nation, one people from all our walk of lives.