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Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu
TWO weeks ago in this paper I wrote about a national shared vision as the basis of nation building for unity, peace and development and that such a vision was the basis of the Unity Accord signed by Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo on behalf of our two revolutionary parties and the people of Zimbabwe. The response from the public was and still is overwhelming nationwide.
Of late it is most unfortunate that some people want to turn that great national vision of unity into a nightmare. Is it because Dr Joshua Nkomo, Cde Joseph Msika and Cde John Nkomo passed on?
We negotiated the Unity Agreement in good revolutionary faith as liberators of our nation. Black Umfolosi says: “Unity is ever important”. Efforts to torpedo the Unity Accord were tried by the same people when Cde Msika took over Dr Nkomo’s position as Vice President and when Cde Nkomo came on board as well as when we nominated Cde Simon Khaya Moyo as national chairman. We corrected that with the support of the majority progressive revolutionary Provincial Co-ordination Committees (PCC) of all the provinces and all the people of Zimbabwe.
Dr Joshua Nkomo on his death bed said to President Mugabe:
1. Keep the unity of our people,
2. Take the land for the people’s settlement and farming
3. Empower people economically
4. Take control of the national natural wealth resources
One thing certain is that we are all equal in this unity and also even more senior to some who say they are senior to former PF-Zapu revolutionaries. I think some were not even there or if they were there, they might have been pretenders to unity. Under General Josh, Zipra Commander-in-chief and Zanla under Cde Mugabe, we formed the Zimbabwe National Army which has protected our great nation which has remained united in spite of some political upheavals in the past and which some careless anti-revolutionary individuals want to disturb.
Unity meant mutual respect and availing national resources, government agencies, parastatals boards equitably between former PF-Zapu and former Zanu-PF. The Unity Accord document is like a marriage certificate. Does a marriage certificate put in writing everything that should be done by those married to make the marriage work?
We would like to put an end to debating our Zanu-PF concerns in newspapers particularly the independent ones which distort facts.
I have been called to respond to some of my colleagues’ unfortunate utterances.
Why rush to the Press, the private Independent Press for that matter? Let us also not put our President’s name into disrepute by claiming that the President said there was no written agreement on this and that and that bonds of Unity between him and Dr Nkomo have ceased to exist.
Two former old Zanu-PF officials told me they had seen President Mugabe on this matter and they were given a go-ahead. I know that is a stretch of their imagination. I once attended a Zanu-PF meeting where someone made a slogan: Pamberi Ne Zanu-PF! Members responded –“Pamberi!” and he said: “Pamberi ne Zanu-PF chaiyo chaiyo!” and I did not respond, because I was told that “Zanu-PF Chaiyo Chaiyo” means Zanu-PF without PF Zapu. This is dangerous and reckless and cannot be tolerated.
As Africans we originate from oral history and unwritten conventions. Kings Mzilikazi and Lobengula gave unwritten commands which were followed. We joined the war and received unwritten military commands for military action. Commands for crossing the Zambezi and leaving Mozambique were not written down for guerrillas to act but they acted.
Where did Mbuya Nehanda write that “Mapfupa angu achamuka” and where was Chimurenga war, Impi Yomvukela written?
It is always stated in life that a man of his word can be trusted. It is not said a man of his “written word”.
What makes a person dependable and reliable is what is called dialect critical thinking. Dialect thinking is the capability to know past history and to relate it to the present without undermining its past.
Critical thinking is the capability for self-criticism and what Cde Mao Tsedung called self-rectification. One must be a disciplined thinker to avoid impetuous statements, which we call ukuphahluka/kupashuka. Let us therefore know our Unity Accord history and cherish it.
We must remain united and seriously re-organise our revolutionary party properly and procedurally according to the Zanu-PF constitution. Let us have a strong party because without a united strong people-centred party there cannot be a strong government.
Dr Sikhanyiso is a veteran nationalist and revolutionary now above 77 years old having started politics during the Federation and the 1957 formation of the African National Congress. He has done research and written more than 30 monographs and books on education and politics. He was known as General Hokoyo Commander of the Umgandani underground demolition squad in Bulawayo in 1961 under Zapu after the banning of NDP. He is a former member of Zipra Revolutionary Council.
Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu is the Zanu-PF National Secretary for Education in the Politburo.
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