admin
The Herald, December 23, 1987
UNITY between Zanu (PF) and PF-Zapu was signed yesterday afternoon with Cde Mugabe and First Secretary of the united party taking the name Zanu-PF.
Under the agreement signed yesterday at State House, there will be two vice-presidents and second secretaries of the party and some cabinet posts, Government posts and diplomatic appointments will go to former Zapu members.
Cde Mugabe, who is also the Prime Minister, said yesterday that it was not yet time for him “to reveal his secrets” as to who will be appointed.
The signing ceremony, which was followed by a toast, was presided over by President Banana, who later described it as “a tremendous send-off for him” as he ends his presidency.
The Unity of the parties was expected to unite the nation, establish peace, law and order and to guarantee social and economic development and political stability.
Cde Mugabe signed on behalf of Zanu (PF) while Cde Joshua Nkomo, the leader of Zapu, signed on behalf of his party.
According to the agreement, the two political parties would be united under Zanu (PF) which shall have two vice-presidents and second secretaries who shall be appointed by the First Secretary and President of the party.
The party shall seek to establish a one party state in Zimbabwe and establish a socialist state along Marxist-Leninist principles.
Both parties will, in the interim, take immediate and rigorous steps to eliminate and end the insecurity and violence prevalent in Matabeleland.
Zanu (PF) and Zapu shall also convene their respective congresses to give effect to the agreement within the shortest possible time and, in the meantime, Cde Mugabe has been vested with full powers to prepare for the implementation of the unity agreement and to act in the name and authority of Zanu (PF).
With the signing of the agreement yesterday, out of the 100 members in the House of Assembly, 93 of them are members of the party. Six non-party MPs were backed by the party during the election to fill the 20 non-constituent seats, leaving only Mr Goodson Sithole of the Zimbabwe African National Union out of the ruling group.
However, the road to unity was not all that easy with 10 meetings held in the exercise. The first was on October 2, 1985, and the last on December 10 this year.
All but one of the meetings were held in Parliament Building. The odd one out was held at Munhumutapa Building which houses the offices of the Prime Minister.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- After years of negotiations, unity between Zanu (PF) and Zapu finally became a reality on December 22, 1987.
- But after appending their signatures to the four-page document, both Cde Mugabe and Cde Nkomo agreed this was only the beginning of the process of unifying the people.
- The unity achieved was the fulfilment of an “expensive and dear dream” for the majority of Zimbabweans.
- The signing of the Unity Agreement between Zanu (PF) and Zapu made it a great day as it brought together two parties that had fought a common enemy under the banner of the Patriotic Front.
- This year’s Unity day theme is: UnitED towards vision 2030.
- As former Vice President Joshua Nkomo, who was also the first Second VP said: “(This was) the beginning of unity; for unity is not just the signing of documents; unity is what follows.”
Online Reporter