via Mugabe flies into storm – Southern Eye by Mthandazo Nyoni 22 December 2013
Mugabe will today probably celebrate his first Unity Day in Bulawayo amid a chorus of demands of a full disclosure of what transpired during the Gukurahundi atrocities.
Mugabe will be in the city to officially open the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport’s new terminal building and unveil Father Zimbabwe’s statue along Main Street.
But if statements from opposition parties issued on the eve of his visit are anything to go by, not everyone would be celebrating with the 89-year-old leader.
Zapu led the attacks, questioning the essence of celebrating the signing of the 1987 Unity Accord, between Zapu and Zanu saying it was meaningless.
Former Zanu PF politburo member Dumiso Dabengwa who led members of Zapu who pulled out of Mugabe’s party in 2008 citing unfulfilled promises stemming from the Unity Accord said the holiday was not worth celebrating.
“As is well known, Comrade (Cde)Joshua Nkomo had a torrid time soon after independence because his party was an alternative to the ruling party,” he said.
“Zapu was coerced into a lopsided ‘unity’ with Zanu in 1987 which its leader saw as a necessary sacrifice to stop repression aimed at his supporters.
“After its revival in 2008 as an independent entity, Zapu has been championing the cause of true unity of the people, that is, unity based on the principle of equal rights.
“We believe that this is the only durable foundation for peace, recognising that people have equal rights irrespective of their race, ethnicity, language, sex, religion, political affiliation and other affiliations and attributes.”
Dabengwa said although the unveiling of the statue was welcome, Nkomo’s legacy was still not being properly preserved.
“There is a lot of ambivalence in recognition of Cde Joshua Nkomo as the pre-eminent figure in Zimbabwe’s nationalism and as an embodiment of our people’s determination to achieve liberation and human rights by any means necessary, including the armed struggle that changed the balance of power against racist forces,” he said. “Part of the explanation lies in the use and abuse of the notion of ‘unity’.”
Dabengwa added: “The combined honours to Cde Joshua Nkomo’s memory and legacy are welcome, both to the country and to Bulawayo. They are highly deserved and not a favour from anyone.
“These two memorials come more than a dozen years after his passing away in 1999.
“It is a great puzzle that although the decision to erect a statue in Bulawayo was taken many years ago, the completion of this overdue tangible tribute has only come now.
“This delayed honour is even more remarkable and inexplicable now when even Nkomo’s former detractors find it necessary to call him ‘Father Zimbabwe’.
“There was a time when this nationalist giant was vilified as ‘Father of Dissidents’ and his perceived supporters were harassed, detained and in some instances summarily killed particularly in the unresolved ‘Gukurahundi’ genocidal campaign of the early 1980s.”
December 22 was set aside to commemorate the signing of a peace deal in 1987 to end the disturbances in Matabeleland and the Midlands where the army is accused of killing at least 20 000 people.
MDC-T said it will not attend the ceremonies because Mugabe was fond of using such events to insult its leaders.
“We are not going to attend the Unity Day commemorations because it is where MDC-T party is subjected to hatred by Mugabe and his party,” the party’s spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told Southern Eye.
“We would not be attending until Mugabe stops political harassment against MDC-T party and its leadership.
“The Unity Day has lost its meaning because it was converted into a partisan day by Zanu PF. It is only celebrated within Zanu PF party,” he added.
However, the MDC party led by Welshman Ncube said it would attend the events to celebrate Nkomo’s legacy.
“We will attend and celebrate the greatest icon. We are a Zimbabwean party that knows where it came from.
“We don’t attend only if that person is not a hero,” Nhlanhla Dube, the MDC spokesperson, said.
Zanu PF has defended the celebration of Unity Day saying Zimbabweans should cherish the peace it ushered in.
COMMENTS
Chase the genocider when he arrives arrest him to the icc. Enjoy your fathers idols alone. Is muggersboy your president.fools
Forgiveness is a virtue reserved for the wise.
It is very sad that journalists still are negligent in their research and to cover up show absolute disrespect.
Gukurahundi, because it is unlikely that any Zimbabwe jpournalist will ever make the effort to research because the moment they find out that others were involved, they think no propaganda money and leave their loyalty to the massacre not extending to truth.
1 At independence the new government leaned towards R
CONTINUED
1. At Independence the new government leaned towards Russia and Communism. – this alarmed the west due to the ongoing cold war.
2. South Africa was concerned that it would follow Zimbabwes lead.
3. Ted Sutton Price, former Home Affairs Minister joined Psychological Warfare as their consultant for Zimbabwe along with his former team of indigous aides that used to disrupt the freedom fighters in Rhodesia.
4. A plan was devised to still up trouble in Matebeleland utilizing the same agents utilized during UDI, this would cause
a situation of unrest which because it was in matebeleland would need thev intervention of the army. President Mugabe would not trust the untegrated army and would use the 5th Brigade which was loyal to Zanu which would cause civil war in Matebeland due to political differences. Because there would be a massacre and many dead in order to avoid reprecussions Zanu would have to change policy to capitalism and embrace the west. The west would tacidly ignor it because of the cold war, which they did.
Sutton Price said afterwards it worked well, one of the most successful operations, the media was not bright and blamed Mugabe as anticipated, assisting in the cover up.
When asked of the missionaries he said there is collateral damage in every operation.
To end the problem those survivors need to recall the strangers who stirred up the rebellion in Matabeleland – you need to do it yourself as the press in Zimbabwe are only interested in money and have no loyalty to Zimbabwe or Matebeleland and will continue with anti government propaganda.
I did my duty and gave a few names to the AG, now you do yours.
It makes me sad when journalists like the above race for propaganda bucks and write rubbish about Nkomo.
I had the honour of speaking to him about the above at his Highfield home. He was essentially a man of peace and would stir in his grave at those MDC-T activists using his statue as a political tool for their financial and political power.
Shame on MDC-T AND ANY THAT DIDNT ATTEND.
Unity under these terms is hardly enduring!!Sign this preconceived agreement or we will continue to kill your people!!
You should seek medical attention, there was never such a threat, its only MDC -T that make threats – You will have no power because we control the economic sabotage at Zesa.
Nkomo was a great man in a meeting shortly before the agreement referred to he said he sought a peace he agreement – in his heart he was man of peace.
As a white I asked him should I leave? He said no, I had much to offer as do many other whites – we need to join forces in unity to build a nation.
He was a great man its so sad that there are those who show disrespect by attempting to promote him in their evil ways.
I wonder if God Almighty asked Nkomo as father of ZAPU to account for shooting down of 2 Civillian aircraft??
He didn’t personally shoot them down in the same way as SMITH didn’t personally murder or torture villagers – it was a war situation.
What was under discussion to get you back on the same page was about the peace agreement and in this he was sincere.
For 33 years Mugabe and Zanu have got away with murder plunder etc. The truth of the matter is A COUNTRY THAT PROFESSES TO BE CHRISTIAN BUT BELIEVES IN WITCHCRAFT IS DOOMED TO FAIL. Our country is run by demonic people thus the curse is all around us. The repentance of all in the name of God must be a priority before we can move forward.
Zimbabweans the new Zimbabwe you want is in your hands now , not even the nanga will help you.
Nyoni, well done, how clever you are you remembered the propagandsa without the evidence. wow.
There is only one case with evidence that has ever reached the HAGUE regarding Zimbabwe and that is against the local legal mafia for crime against humanity.Ref otp-cr-427/13.
Now this is fact, beats the propaganda merchants with their fairy stories hands down.
Those propaganda merchants need to put some facts on paper real cases with evidence.
I am a great believer that those who promote rubbish, which brings the nation down, should languish in jail for economic sabotage.
Lets deal with facts, that’s the only way forward and just because it differs from what you were taught by local irresponsible journalists rise above it and research.
Matabeleland would never have occurred if others didn’t think Zimbabweans that slow they could be easily conned as they were.
Mugabe , smith mandela , nkomo all the same
The truth can only come out if the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is formed. I’m sure if the current government led by R.G Mugabe, whose name is always implicated in this, (mass murder), can help us put this matter to rest. The question therefore is, why has this not been done in 33 years of his rule. It is a Shame to ZANU PF led government, the least they could do is apologisy to the people of Matebeleland. If we are to get a united and prosperous Zimbabwe, such issues have to be addressed.