by Chantel Takudzwa Zambukira
On December 22nd, Zimbabwe was celebrating Unity Day which seemingly turned wrong for the trio-activists Thamsanqa Ncube, Samkeliso Tshuma and Melusi Nyathi.
The trio were allegedly arrested for inciting violence after they marched for national peace and sought to honour the victims of the Gukurahundi massacres. However they were charged with “Participating in gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry,” as quoted by Zenzele Ndebele from Aakhe on twitter.
According to the information that was found by this Publication, many people do not even know what unity day is.
However, those who have an idea and want to remember their relatives who were lost during the Gukurahundi massacre, have been arrested for intending to incite violence.
Unity day commemorates the day when late former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and late former vice president Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Zimbabwe African People’s Part (both late) signed an agreement of unity between the two parties soon after Gukurahundi in 1987.
Contrary to the main aim of Unity Day, there is nothing that has been done to commemorate this day. ZAPU and ZANUPF did not meet to celebrate together. There were individual messages from different officials.
Due to lack of unity we still have people who are wearing t-shirts printed ‘Amashona abulal’ ilizwe,’
Shona people are destroying the nation .
However, upon being asked, Bulawayo assistant spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele and Abednego Ncube said they have not heard of such a case.