Chronicle Editor
THE country will tomorrow wake up to the 25th anniversary of the death of the late Vice-President and veteran nationalist, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo who breathed his last on 1 July, 1999 at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.
While it is now 25 years since Dr Nkomo, described in many circles as the founder and leader of key nationalist movements that laid the foundation for the armed struggle, his lessons, wisdom, tolerance and selflessness are still fresh in the hearts of a majority of Zimbabweans.
The man affectionately known as Father Zimbabwe, Mafukufuku, Umdala Wethu and Chibwechitedza was a larger-than-life character whose charisma and political astuteness transcended the country’s geographical borders and made him a darling of the nation.
As we mark 25 years since his demise it is prudent that we draw lessons from his teachings and life. One of the things that the current and future generations should learn from Dr Nkomo is that he was able to mediate ethnic, regional and other identities for the national cause. He did not look at people through tribal or geographical lenses, to him everyone was Zimbabwean.
That is why he was able to bring together different groups of people into one collective unity. Dr Nkomo always preached the gospel of unity as his wish was to see Zimbabweans living as one despite the ethnic diversity that we have.
As the nation pauses to commemorate this significant milestone, it is an opportunity to honour Dr Nkomo’s enduring legacy by reaffirming the values he cherished and lived by.
His exemplary life and leadership serve as a clarion call for all Zimbabweans to emulate his spirit of tolerance, compassion and selflessness, fostering a culture of unity and understanding that transcends societal divisions.
He was also a crusader for the black economic empowerment as evidenced through his setting up of the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ), a development initiative with subsidiaries in mining, horticulture, coffee and tea production as well as tomato canning.
All that was meant to promote self-sustenance among the Zimbabweans. We are glad to note that the Second Republic has brought on board that vision and livened it through its philosophy that Nyika unovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo.
It is also Dr Nkomo who is credited for openly demanding that land be returned to Zimbabweans.
A cornerstone of Dr Nkomo’s vision for Zimbabwe was the promotion of national unity and social cohesion, transcending historical divisions and fostering a sense of collective identity.
From the time he joined politics right to his deathbed, Dr Nkomo preached unity, peace and the importance of the land as it was the reason sons and daughters of Zimbabwe took up arms to dislodge the colonial system that led to Independence in 1980.
It is also Dr Nkomo who pushed for the construction of Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo which was meant to bring specialist treatment for the locals. Although the medical facility has suffered false starts we are glad that under the Second Republic concrete steps have been taken to open the facility and make it a viable entity. That would be a great honour to Father Zimbabwe.
He was a larger-than-life character whose legacy continue to be cherished by all progressive minds as the country charts its development trajectory. He is not the kind of person whose memory could be lost to history but remains the man credited with the unity that defines the country’s celebration of diversity.
Bongani Ndlovu