Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has warned that the 1987 Unity Accord signed between PF-Zapu and Zanu PF was facing imminent collapse as senior officials’ fight for top posts escalates ahead of the party’s elective December congress.
Staff Reporter
Ndlovu penned a hard hitting response in the State media to claims by Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa that the post of Zanu PF chairman was not reserved for former PF Zapu members.
He said there were attempts to turn the 1987 Unity Accord into a nightmare, in apparent reference to Mutasa’s campaign to be the next Zanu PF chairperson.
“Of late it is most unfortunate that some people want to turn that great national vision of unity into a nightmare,” Ndlovu wrote.
“Is it because Dr Joshua Nkomo, Cde Joseph Msika and Cde John Nkomo passed on?”
Ndlovu, who is secretary for education in the Zanu PF politburo said it was not the first time some party officials tried to discard the Unity Accord.
“Efforts to torpedo the Unity Accord were tried by the same people when Cde (Joseph) Msika took over Dr (Joshua) Nkomo’s position as Vice-President and when Cde (John) Nkomo came on board as well as when we nominated Cde Simon Khaya Moyo as national chairman,” Ndlovu said.
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“We corrected that with the support of the majority progressive revolutionary provincial co-ordination committees (PCC) of all the provinces and all the people of Zimbabwe.”
Mutasa tried to challenge Moyo for the post of Zanu PF chairman but did not get any support from the party structures.
He has again expressed interest in the post which is likely to fall vacant with Moyo’s imminentelevation to the party’s second vice-presidency.
However, former PF-Zapu members believe the post was reserved for them, setting the stage for a bruising battle that could put the Unity Accord that ended the Gukurahundi atrocities on the line. Mutasa and Gumbo have stated that there was nothing in the Unity Accord indicating that the post was a preserve for former PF-Zapu members.
But Ndlovu has blasted the assertion saying: “Unity meant mutual respect and availing national resources, government agencies, parastatals boards equitably between former PF-Zapu and former Zanu-PF.
“The Unity Accord document is like a marriage certificate. Does a marriage certificate put in writing everything that should be done by those married to make the marriage work?”
He also attacked Mutasa and Gumbo for discussing the matter in the private media. Ndlovu revealed that there were some senior leaders who had coined a slogan “Pamberi ne Zanu PF chaiyo chaiyo (original).”
“This is dangerous and cannot be tolerated,” he said. In 2008, Dumiso Dabengwa quit Zanu PFto re-ignite Zapu citing the same grievances.
