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The Late Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo

Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
TODAY marks 17 years since the death of revolutionary and founding father of the liberation of Zimbabwe, the late Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo.

Dr Nkomo died at the age of 82 on July 1, 1999 after a long battle with cancer.

The ruling Zanu PF yesterday called on the nation to uphold the principles championed by Dr Nkomo, affectionately known as Father Zimbabwe.

The Secretary for the Disabled and Disadvantaged in the Politburo, Cde Joshua Malinga, said the Unity Accord signed by Dr Nkomo and President Mugabe in 1987 was not an event but a process of uniting all Zimbabweans.

The Unity Accord brought together the revolutionary parties PF Zapu led by Dr Nkomo and Zanu led by President Mugabe under one party, the ruling Zanu PF.

“Dr Nkomo represented everything political. He was a philosopher, developer, unifier and of course a nationalist. I don’t agree with those who view the Unity Accord as an event but it was a process that is still going on now,” he said.

‘It was not meant to unite only the political leadership at the top but to cascade down to the last person on the ground. It is therefore important to remain united as a nation in honour of the great visionary leader.”

Addressing the One Million man March in May, President Mugabe reminisced on Dr Nkomo’s last days saying the late veteran nationalist emphasised on the need for unity and the distribution of land to the black majority.

The President said the country has people of different ethnic backgrounds who should be treated the same and no one should feel superior over others on the basis that they belong to a certain tribe.

He said unity would always be the guiding principle in the organisation of the party.

“When I visited Nkomo in the days he was ill, he urged me to hold on to two principles which is unity of our people. That there shall not be persons who will say that because we are Zezurus, Manyikas, Karangas, Ndebeles, we must be treated differently. No! All of us are the same.

“We’ve the Vendas among us, the Tongas among us, and Kalangas among us so no tribe should boast of superiority over others. There is nothing like that, we say down with it. We fought for Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans. Nkomo said remain preaching the gospel of unity,” said President Mugabe.

“The second principle was land to the people. The land must be never and never again get out of the control and ownership of our people, so land to the people.”

President Mugabe said unity should come from the family set up to the community and regions.

“The government must show as it delivers its services that it’s working for the people as a whole, working for a united people but finally as a nation we’re united,” he said.