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Prosper Ndlovu Acting News Editor
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday implored former PF-Zapu cadres who left Zanu-PF to return, describing their departure as an act of infidelity and dishonesty to the late Vice-President, Dr Joshua Nkomo.Addressing thousands of people who flooded Bulawayo city centre to witness the official unveiling of Dr Nkomo’s statue and the renaming of Main Street after the late Father Zimbabwe, President Mugabe said the purported pull-out from Zanu-PF by the Dr Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu was tantamount to rebellion.
“That is an act of infidelity and disloyalty to Umdala Wethu. Yesterday, you were under his command. Some of us are war veterans and so, now that he is gone, do you think as he is in the grave he can now be disobeyed,” said President Mugabe.
He added: “As war veterans, we fought one war, whether Zipra and Zanla. So, get together and come back and be where you belong. Do not get lost.”
Unlike the opposition MDC formations who are seeking to please the country’s detractors and former colonisers, President Mugabe said, Zapu cadres share the same ideology with their Zanu-PF counterparts and fought side-by-side during the liberation struggle.
Said the President: “Those are the ones that really make me cry because they were under us, under our command. They should remain with us. The ideology we based our struggle, whether we were friends to Russia or China, was the same. You don’t take acts of disloyalty, come back, come back, come back,” he said adding: “I do not make that to MDC or Tsvangirai.
Those ones can go to hell. You made contributions to the country. Why should we, on this day, be divided? We know what should have been done to all of you, war veterans, but the resources were not enough.”
Commenting on the issue in an interview last night, Dr Dabengwa said it was difficult for him to respond to the President’s plea without consulting his lieutenants.
“We cannot answer him (President) today. Remember, we did not leave Zanu-PF as individuals but we left as a Zapu block. I therefore, cannot make that decision myself,” said Dr Dabengwa.
He added: “I did not attend the event but some of us did and they will tell us what happened.”
During his address, President Mugabe, who earlier in the day officially commissioned the new Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport terminal building, took the large gathering down memory lane, chronicling how Dr Nkomo and others championed the nationalist cause and fought a bitter struggle to liberate Zimbabwe.
He said the late national hero played a critical role in uniting the country, especially through forging the December 22 Unity Accord.
President Mugabe revealed that after the 1980 elections, in which Zanu won 57 seats and Zapu 20, Dr Nkomo declined the offer to be President despite repeated efforts to have him assume the lofty post.
“That was the humility of the man we celebrate today,” said President Mugabe.
He said the unveiling of the statue and the renaming of Main Street after Dr Nkomo were projects that will forever symbolise the man’s lofty stature, his character and sacrifice for the country.
“This statue, a national monument, is therefore, a part of the national heritage of Zimbabwe which embodies the national values and aspirations of Zimbabweans.
“The statue and the renamed street allow us to continuously reflect on where we stand as a nation, also to introspect on what we are doing, as a people, vis-à-vis what Dr Joshua Nkomo stood for,” said President Mugabe.
“It is my expectation that we all view the two events as sources of inspiration, courage, unity of purpose and a national reference point for Zimbabweans for present and future generations.”
The President said yesterday’s event, which coincided with the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Unity Accord, embodied the struggles and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe, which is explained in Dr Nkomo’s legacy.
“Both the statue and the renamed street commemorate, and are a tribute to Dr Nkomo, for his leadership, his dedication and his ability to understand and translate the aspirations of Zimbabweans,” President Mugabe said.
“During his life, he pursued many national roles, before and after independence. The statue and the renamed street reconnect us with Umdala Wethu. They are a collective reminder that this country was not given on a silver platter.”
He urged Zimbabweans to follow on the footsteps of Dr Nkomo and guard jealously the fruits of independence, especially the land.
Online Reporter