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YESTERDAY Zimbabweans from all walks of life celebrated Unity Day which has been set aside to commemorate the signing of the 22 December 1987 Unity Accord between the former PF-Zapu and Zanu-PF. The accord is an important document in the history of Zimbabwe as it put an end to five years of civil strife and the dissident menace in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands province.

President Mugabe and the late former Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo signed the accord to bring peace to Zimbabwe and begin the process of building the nascent democracy that was an independent Zimbabwe. The two liberation war leaders put aside their personal political aspirations for the good of the nation and they should be emulated for that. Twenty seven years on the country is still an oasis of peace and the legacy of that historic occasion lives on.

This year’s Unity Day celebrations come as a united Zanu-PF has just successfully held its elective Congress and ushered in a new leadership notably the appointment of Co-Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko. The vanguard party also expelled former war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda and ex-spokesman Rugare Gumbo for their part in a plot to assassinate President Mugabe.

Other bigwigs such as former Vice President Joice Mujuru and secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa were kicked out of the Central Committee and Politburo. They subsequently also lost their positions in the government. Zanu-PF emerged from its watershed congress stronger, invigorated and more united than ever with the new deployees in government following President Mugabe’s cabinet reshuffle hitting the ground running and implementing government programmes.

As the nation commemorates Unity Day, we feel it is incumbent upon all Zimbabweans to cherish this day and be thankful for the blessings bestowed on the country. The peace and stability prevailing in Zimbabwe is a result of the foresight of the country’s leaders and it is important that it is maintained. Zanu-PF has stayed true to the ideals of the Accord with the appointment of Cde Mphoko — a career diplomat and decorated liberation war hero filling the former PF-Zapu slot in the presidium.

It is crucial that the Matabeleland region rallies behind Cde Mphoko as he carries out his duties. With his vast diplomatic experience and business connections and acumen, VP Mphoko brings a refreshing side to the presidium. It is very unfortunate that some cadres no less his former commander during the war Dumiso Dabengwa have sought to besmirch Cde Mphoko’s credentials and liberation struggle history by casting aspersions on his role before and after independence.

Dabengwa claims VP Mphoko sold out Zipra by remaining in Mozambique after the collapse of the Zimbabwe People’s Army which sought to bring Zanla and Zipra together. He also describes VP Mphoko’s stint in the Central Intelligence Organisation between 1982 and 1987 as a sign of selling out Zapu to Zanu-PF. VP Mphoko’s liberation war credentials are unblemished with former Zipra commanders such as Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri testifying that he was a loyal and committed soldier who served Zipra as chief of logistics in the 1970s. Like all other former combatants from both Zanla and Zipra, VP Mphoko joined one of the security agencies — in this case the CIO — after demobilisation.

Other Zipra cadres joined the army, police and prison services depending on deployment. So it is not peculiar to VP Mphoko that he was deployed to the intelligence services where he did a sterling job resulting in his promotion to the ambassadorial roles he played in various postings such as Botswana, Russia and South Africa. Therefore, instead of throwing mud at the new VP, people like Dabengwa with their impeccable liberation struggle credentials should support Cde Mphoko as he represents the interests of the people of Matabeleland and Zimbabwe. His appointment is a Godsend for the people of this region.