Online Reporter
YESTERDAY, as we commemorated the 38th anniversary of the historic Unity Accord, we were called to reflect not just on a political document signed in 1987, but on a living, breathing covenant that remains the bedrock of our nation.
The words of President Mnangagwa resonate with a profound truth: under the Second Republic, there is no room for antagonism and division. Our national unity is not merely a political slogan; it is sacred, the very foundation upon which a prosperous Zimbabwe must be built.
The signing of the Unity Accord by the late Founding Fathers, President Robert Mugabe and Vice-President Joshua Nkomo, was a masterstroke of statesmanship that ended a painful chapter. It transformed a nation at war with itself into one with a shared vision. That spirit of reconciliation is the inheritance we must fiercely protect.
As the President rightly stated, “no attempt to divide Zimbabwe will ever succeed” because the resolve of a united people is unconquerable.
This unity is not an abstract ideal. It is the practical engine behind the tangible progress we are witnessing. The President’s address rightly catalogued the fruits borne from the tree of peace: the flourishing agriculture sector securing our food sovereignty, the rising mineral output, the expanding manufacturing base, and the infrastructure transforming our landscape.
The successful transition from NDS1 to the industrialisation-focused NDS2 is a direct result of a stable, unified environment where development can take root. These are not partisan achievements; they are national victories made possible because we chose to build together.
Furthermore, our unity is our shield against external challenges. The “albatross of Western-imposed unilateral coercive measures” has tested our resilience. Yet, as the President noted, it is through collective resolve that we have overcome and continued on our people-centred trajectory. Vilification from abroad only strengthens our domestic solidarity when we remember that we are “one indivisible nation,” from Zambezi to Limpopo.
However, true unity is not the absence of difference. Zimbabwe is a beautifully diverse tapestry of cultures, languages, and tribes. The President’s assertion that “no culture, language, or tribe is superior over any other” is a vital guiding principle. Unity is found in celebrating this diversity under one flag and one anthem. It is demonstrated in the ongoing, sensitive work of the Gukurahundi National Outreach Programme, which seeks to promote national healing and reconciliation under the guidance of our traditional leaders. This difficult but necessary work is the true embodiment of the Unity Accord’s spirit — acknowledging the past to fortify the future.
The ethos of our Founding Fathers demands more than passive remembrance. It demands active participation. The philosophy “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo” places the responsibility squarely on our shoulders. We guard our unity by rejecting divisive rhetoric in our communities and online. We promote it by embracing dialogue to resolve differing perspectives. We preserve it by patriotically defending the character of Zimbabwe as a united, peaceful, and hardworking nation.
Let us move beyond ceremony into renewed commitment. Let us honour the legacy of 1987 by ensuring that our every action — in our workplaces, our communities, and our national discourse — reinforces the sacred thread that binds us. Our shared journey towards a prosperous, upper-middle-income society depends on it.
The Accord was the promise; our continued unity is the fulfilment.
