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Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
OPPOSITION leaders who atte-nded the burial of Cde Enos Mzombi Nkala at the National Heroes’ Acre yesterday urged Zimbabweans to uphold the ideals of the liberation struggle, saying that was the only political business in town.Despite claiming that they would not partake in activities presided over by President Mugabe, incoming MDC-T senators — Mrs Sekai Holland, Mr James Makore and Mr Cephas Makuyana — were at the National Heroes Acre along with Professor Mutambara, MDC-99 leader Mr Job Sikhala and NCA chairperson Professor Lovemore Madhuku.
In the wake of its crushing defeat in the harmonised elections, MDC-T which claimed widespread vote-rigging in polls it was widely tipped to lose, said it would boycott the opening of the Eighth Parliament to protest President Mugabe’s presence.
Mrs Holland and Mr Makore are members of MDC-T’s guardian council. Prof Madhuku, who also attended the body viewing at Stodart Hall, said it was time Zimbabweans put aside their political differences and united around the values of the liberation struggle.
“It is essential that Zimbabweans unite around values of the liberation struggle and build a democratic nation which is not shaped by outsiders. It is also time to reflect on sacrifices that the founding leaders of our nation have made and it is important that we continue to build on those sacrifices,” he said.
Turning to his previous clashes with Zanu-PF, Prof Madhuku said: “We are definitely growing up and I can say at this stage we are very firm that this is the right approach in politics. We may have acted differently in the past, but we have now come to realise that it is important that we change and adopt this approach. We should come together and mourn our heroes.”
Mr Sikhala said Zimbabweans may quarrel on other issues, but not on those to do with the liberation of the country.
“We must not forget that despite the blemish people want to put on people, there are certain individuals and characters who played a role for our country and we must not only brush them aside because of political differences of today.
“The political differences of today must not blind us to celebrate the achievements of the past. Cde Nkala is one of the people who played a major role for us to be where we are today. No one is an angel, on earth we are all sinners and we must accept Enos Nkala played a huge and major role in the independence of our country.
“We must be able to quarrel as Zimbabweans on issues on how the state is run, but there is one thing we must not dispute about — the liberation and freedom of our country which was brought by people like Enos Nkala.”
Mrs Holland said the MDC-T guardian council members attended Cde Nkala’s burial in their personal capacities.
“The guardian council is here from the party in our personal capacities. The democratic struggle that was waged and won through the liberation goes on . . . It is part of the democratic struggle. There is no contradiction. I am a proud MDC member and the guardian council chair acting. We are here to pay tribute to a liberation war hero,” she said.
Mrs Holland said she first met Cde Nkala at Mulungushi Village when the Central Committee was released from prison after 10 years in 1974.
On his part, Mr Makore said he worked with Cde Nkala for a long time during the war of liberation.
“I am particularly here to bury Enos Nkala, a colleague I worked with for so long a time. We were together in Zanu,” he said.
Mr Makore chronicled how he worked with Cde Nkala in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces recruiting cadres willing to join the war of liberation.
Cde Nkala died last week in Harare from heart and kidney complications.
Online Reporter