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Cde Simon Khaya Moyo

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
ZANU-PF remains bound by tenets of the 1987 Unity Accord which was signed by former President Robert Mugabe and the late Father Zimbabwe, Vice President Joshua Nkomo, a senior official has said.

Zanu-PF national spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, speaking ahead of the national Unity Day today, yesterday said the Accord has ensured that there is peace in the country which should be safeguarded.

Unity day has been commemorated on December 22 since 1987.

The Unity Accord came about following disturbances in the country’s Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the early 1980s.

“When we attained independence in 1980, the two parties formed a Unity Government. It became desirable that the two parties engage in extensive and intensive negotiations to form one party. These exchanges resulted in the signing of the Unity Accord of 22 December 1987 by the then two principals leading to the formation of the united Zanu-PF. In fact this agreement formed the basis of unity for our people across the country and must be defended at all costs. Efforts to derail it must be discouraged. The letter and spirit of the Accord must be respected,” he said.

Ambassador Khaya Moyo said factionalism and divisions that had rocked Zanu-PF in the past few weeks had become alien to the Unity Accord tenets.

He said the party should shun divisive elements and respect the party’s leadership.

“The Unity Accord has no provision for factionalism. I have at all party conferences and other fora spoken strongly against factionalism, corruption, tribalism, regionalism and racism. The party constitution remains supreme,” Ambassador Khaya Moyo said.

“We have heard of the existence of factionalism within our revolutionary party. No one should lead or belong to a faction. A principled cadre should belong to the party with one leader. In Zanu-PF our leader is President ED Mnangagwa, no one else. The recently held Extraordinary Congress ratified that.”

Ambassador Khaya Moyo said the party should use the Unity Day commemorations to reflect on the state of the party as unity must be the heartbeat of politics.

Meanwhile, liberation struggle stalwart Cde Jane Ngwenya yesterday said despite the fact that Cde Mugabe and the late Dr Nkomo were no longer in leadership, the unity that binds Zimbabweans will stand.

She said the Unity Day commemorations are important as they signify the country’s peace.

“Unity stands for the people of Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans were taught about unity and it’s not Zapu or Zanu unity. Unity is what brought the people of Zimbabwe to fight colonial oppression. It’s what united the people, political parties can vanish but the unity among Zimbabweans will remain. So Unity Day is just a day to commemorate what was already there,” Cde Ngwenya said.

@nqotshili