adminFrom his days as a founder member of the African National Council in 1958, through the National Democratic Party, Zapu and then the United Zanu-PF in 1987, Cde Nkomo did not waver from his quest for the total emancipation of his motherland.
Although we are poorer today for having lost one of the founding fathers of the revolution, who dedicated his life to the nation, we are richer for the legacy of stolid, defiant patriotism that he has left us.
Many who have commiserated the Nkomo family have described the departed hero as a unifier.
And the symbolism of the role he played in that regard was evident on the day he passed on as the three main political parties found each other in the long-drawn constitution-making process by resolving all outstanding issues to pave way for the referendum.
One of the enduring statements that have become synonymous with Cde John Nkomo is the dictum ‘‘peace begins with me, peace begins with you, peace begins with all of us’’, and there is no greater honour we can give the late VP than to make this a creed to live by as we countdown to harmonised elections scheduled for the first half of this year.
President Mugabe should be commended for using every opportunity he gets to address the nation to underscore the centrality of peace to the electoral process, sentiments he reiterated at VP Nkomo’s memorial service yesterday.
We hope other principals to the Global Political Agreement, principally MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, will step to the plate and echo the President’s voice.
The principals meet every Monday to discuss challenges facing the inclusive Government and they have all spoken highly of how cordial the meetings are.
This is the message the supporters of not only the three parties in Government, but all political parties contesting the elections should take to their supporters. It is possible to differ amicably.
It is said a fish rots from the head, and now that the head has consistently denounced violence and preached peace, we hope the body follows suit.
And this bids all political leaders to take the message to the grassroots.
We are quite concerned that at this late hour in the countdown to elections, the MDC-T leader — who always loves to play the great victim of violence — is still to echo the President’s call for peace.
All we have heard from him are unfounded claims that the environment is not ripe for elections, claims that become all the more bizarre when read on the backdrop of a highly successful referendum that was not only peaceful but highly subscribed.
It is time Mr Tsvangirai walked the talk.
Nothing can be gained from misrepresenting the situation on the ground.
Online Reporter