Clive Thabo Dube and John Ndlovu
ZMBABWEAN masses are being misinformed on who liberated the country and those who claim to be the liberators are rather rebels, criminals and thieves, Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) has said.
The Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), formed way back in 1961 under the leadership of the former Vice President Dr. Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo has labeled ZANU- PF a rebel party. ZAPU says the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) a break away party which was founded by the late Ndabaningi Sithole in 1963 after a fall out with Father Zimbabwe.
The late Reverend Sithole was to be ousted in a coup that saw the late former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe lead the break away function, now known as ZANU-PF.
Since then, the two nationalistic parties, PF-ZAPU and ZANU-PF have been battling for political supremacy, a war ideally fought without bloodshed. But that is not the case between the two oldest parties. After gaining Independence in 1980, hatred lumed internally resulting in the battle of Zimbabwe (Gukurahundi genocide) in 1982 – 1987 which saw thousands of Matabeleland residents butchered.
To stop the killings of Ndebele speaking citizens by the government sponsored Fifth Brigade and foster peace, the late Vice President Nkomo and his nemesis Robert Mugabe signed the Unity Accord in 1987. This is the time, ZAPU unknowingly surrendered its political clout to ZANU-PF, ZAPU became defunct with most of its members naturally shifting their allegiance to ZANU-PF.
Currently led by Sibangilizwe Nkomo, the son of the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwe’s oldest revolutionary party has failed to field a presidential candidate in the upcoming harmonized elections scheduled for August 23, 2023 amid unconstitutional nomination fees.
The party’s presidential spokesperson, Retired Colonel Dallas Nketa says ZAPU’s source of income (property and farms) were seized by the rulling party and are unwilling to return them. Thus its president, Sibangilizwe Nkomo failed to submit in his candidature.
“We are aware that this regime will not give us our properties. Doing so will pose a threat to them as it will strengthen our financial muscle and enable us to challenge them.” Nketa said.
The Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), the army wing of ZAPU which fought a concerted battle against the settler regime had its properties seized in the 80’s, these include the Magnet House in Bulawayo which is used by Central Intelligence Organization (CIO), Snake Park, Nijo Farm, Windermere farm and Lido Motel (Queens Park Police Station).
ZAPU which withdrew from the Unity Accord in 2008-9 has failed to reclaim it’s properties despite the Supreme Court rulling in their favor.
According to the ZIPRA Retired Colonel, the rulling party are the perpetrators of heinous crimes, are manipulative, corrupt and they are the biggest liers.
“ZANU-PF is a rebel movement which rebelled against authority (the law)… Some of the rebel movements are very clear, they have got the fascist structure, almost it’s security is being dominated by CIOs. An indication that they are insecure, their democracy is for the elite that are in power, there is nothing like freedom, freedom belongs to them…They have taken the authority from the people which is wrong…. When someone is a rebel he is always guilty and is rough something which is currently done by ZANU PF.” He added
The back and forth fights between the two movements, have seen most of ZIPRA ex-combatants being over looked by government to confer them the national hero status. The likes of Lookout Masuku, Welshman Mabhena, Thenjiwe Lesabe, Isaac Nyathi, Richard Dube, Ethan Dube and Masala Sibanda.
ZAPU has thus resulted into burying its fallen comrades at Lady Stanley Cemetery.
The late former President Robert Mugabe is on record stating that only ZANU-PF faithfuls would be buried at the National Heroes Acre.
ZAPU presidential spokesperson said no member associated with the party will bend a knee before ZANU-PF cabinet seeking hero status for the liberation war pioneers.
“The proclamation of hero status is one sided as some are not given hero status because they are not in ZANU. The hero status is conferred by criminals so they say if one is not part of them they cannot be confirmed.
“We agreed that we are not going to kneel to ZANU PF begging to be conferred as heroes as our identification cards (War Vert ID) clearly reflect that we are heroes. So we make sure that we attend funerals of our own and partake with their families. There is a lot of hypocrisy going around. How does one gauge somebody who has worked so hard that this guy deserves to be a district or provincial hero? Whilst conferring a thief as a national hero. It’s unfortunate that up to now people are in regret for voting for ZANU-PF.” Retired Colonel Nketa also said
Meanwhile, the Emmerson Mnangwagwa led ZANU-PF will contest in the upcoming harmonized elections against Citizens Coalition for Change and other opportunistic individuals and parties for both central and local executive seats.
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