Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube | Zim GBC News
BULAWAYO – In a forthright national address marking the 38th anniversary of the Unity Accord, the Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), Cde Andrease Ethan Mathibela, stated that while the accord was pivotal in ending conflict, its deeper aspirations remain unfulfilled for many.
Speaking on Sunday, Mathibela honoured the 1987 agreement between ZANU-PF and PF-ZAPU as a cornerstone of national peace but urged an honest reflection on its implementation.
“The Unity Accord affirmed a fundamental truth: that the strength of Zimbabwe lies in the unity of all its citizens,” Mathibela stated.
“Unity is not uniformity, nor is it silence about history. It is the conscious decision to coexist, to respect one another’s dignity, and to pursue national progress together despite past divisions.”
He acknowledged the Accord’s primary achievement:
“The cessation of physical hostilities in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions… restored a measure of stability and allowed the nation to begin the difficult journey away from conflict toward peace.”
However, Mathibela argued that reconciliation was incomplete. He noted that the Accord’s implementation was largely top-down, leaving broader constituencies feeling excluded.
“With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that many former PF ZAPU and ZIPRA comrades continued to experience marginalisation, economic hardship, and limited representation,” he said.
“True unity requires that representation be felt not only at the top, but across institutions and within everyday national life.”
The Chairman pointed to unresolved practical issues, such as the confiscation of properties and assets from ZIPRA combatants, which he said were not comprehensively addressed post-Accord.
“The restoration or fair resolution of such matters would have gone a long way in building trust, healing wounds, and affirming that reconciliation is both symbolic and practical,” he added.
Mathibela framed his critique as a necessary step for national maturity.
“Raising these issues today is not an attempt to reopen wounds or assign blame. Rather, it is an appeal to conscience, memory, and national maturity. Unity is strengthened when a nation is able to reflect honestly on its past.”
He called on current and future leadership to prioritize “balanced development, fair representation, and restorative justice where historical grievances remain unresolved.”
Addressing the nation’s youth, he urged,
“Learn from our history, protect the peace we now enjoy, and commit yourselves to a future defined not by division, but by shared purpose and mutual respect.”
Concluding his address, Mathibela called for a renewed commitment:
“Let unity be lived in practice, reconciliation be expressed in action, and peace be safeguarded for generations to come.”
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