Zapu’s Youth Front has challenged government to declare July 1 a public holiday in honour of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.
The late nationalist died on July 1 in 1999. Zapu Youth Front chairperson Ndodana Moyo told NewsDay yesterday that their pleas had fallen on deaf ears and they had taken it upon themselves to make the declaration.
“To us, July 1 is now a public holiday,” he said. “Since July 1, 1999, we have had to constantly beg the government and the community to honour Nkomo by declaring July 1 a national holiday. Asking seems to make some people think that they have the power to decide on behalf of the people.” Moyo said government should declare July 1 “a public holiday in honour of the late Nkomo, a true patriot of the struggle. We demand Main Street to be changed into Joshua Mqabuko Street by the eve of July 1, 2012”.
He denounced Unity Day celebrated on December 22 every year as “a day to make people not be aware of the truth”.
“We would like to let people know that December 22 is not a day of unity, but a mere face cover of the insecurity of some people at the expense of the greater good,” he said. “Which day is significant? The one when our people were forced into submission or the day the world lost a great leader like Nkomo?” he said.
