Fissures have emerged between Zimbabwe’s political parties over commemorations to mark Zimbabwe’s 32nd Independence Day tomorrow.
The MDC-T is planning to boycott the Independence Day celebrations as they differed with Zanu PF on the theme for this year’s celebrations, claiming it promoted “a culture of looting”. MDC-T deputy spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo said yesterday that although they respected Independence Day, they were unhappy with the theme of “indigenisation and empowerment” that Zanu PF intended to promote during the celebrations.
“We respect Independence Day, but the theme that Zanu PF wants to use is a problem as it does not build Zimbabwe since indigenisation is being done in a manner similar to the land reform chaos,” Khumalo said.
“It would be difficult to participate as MDC-T unless they changed their theme because their indigenisation policies do not build Zimbabwe and are anti-investment promotion. They want to take companies and Zimbabweans should not participate in commemorating such things.”
But Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said it was surprising that people who benefited from the independence brought about by Zanu PF through its education policies, land reform and indigenisation were threatening to boycott the national event.
“It is important for every Zimbabwean to participate because we celebrate what we have achieved like land reform, which brought about indigenisation and empowerment of our people. All these people complaining are now also able to participate in politics without being arrested,” said Gumbo.
The Welshman Ncube-led MDC said: “We view Independence Day as a national day, the day Zimbabwe was born, but 18 April should not be viewed as a Zanu PF Day.”
MDC 99 leader Job Sikhala urged Zimbabweans to shun the Independence Day commemorations as there was “still oppression and denial of freedom”.
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“There is no independence as the people of Zimbabwe have been under colossal oppression. There is denial of their basic freedoms, human rights and the right to choose leaders of their choice. The Zanu PF regime under (President) Robert Mugabe has oppressed the citizens of this country reminiscent of the racist regime of Ian Douglas Smith and has presided over the deaths of more people than Smith since 1980 and the regime has driven more people into exile,” Sikhala said.
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn spokesperson Silver Bhebe encouraged people to participate despite what he said was “lack of democracy and mismanagement of the economy”.
“There is no independence when poverty is so deep-rooted and there is a lot of intolerance of divergent views from other political players and political violence where some parts of the country are no-go areas for opposition political parties,” Bhebe said.
Zapu acting spokesperson Mark Mbayiwa said: “We fought for independence, yet those who were elected into power distorted it through dictatorship.”
Zanu Ndonga national chairman Reketayi Semwayo said there was no independence when the late founder member of the struggle, Ndabaningi Sithole, was not declared a national hero.
