ZIMBABWE has drifted far from the liberation ideals championed by the late nationalist leader and Vice-President Joshua Nkomo, former National Healing and Reconciliation co-minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu has said.
Mzila-Ndlovu also accused the country’s leadership of failing to build an inclusive and united nation after independence in 1980.
He made the remarks in an interview ahead of Nkomo’s 27th death anniversary to be celebrated tomorrow.
Nkomo died on July 1, 1999.
Speaking during an interview, Mzila Ndlovu said Nkomo and other liberation struggle leaders had envisioned a non-racial, non-tribal and democratic Zimbabwe where opportunities and resources would be distributed fairly among citizens.
“There is no doubt that Joshua Nkomo and his fellow nationalists, the genuine people, really wanted to build a nation out of this country after independence,” he said.
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“And this is why people sacrificed their lives to achieve this nation-building that Nkomo envisaged.”
He said Nkomo represented “thousands upon thousands of genuine nationalists” who fought for a Zimbabwe founded on equality and freedom.
“I do not want to idolise Nkomo as an individual, but I see him as representing thousands upon thousands of genuine nationalists who really wanted to see Zimbabwe become independent, become a non-racial country, a non-tribal country, a non-sexist country.”
However, Mzila Ndlovu argued that Zimbabwe had failed to realise that vision since independence in 1980.
“My answer is a straightforward no. You have to be insane to call this country a nation because we are not a nation,” he said.
The former minister also claimed the late Vice-President died a disappointed man after witnessing what he described as the collapse of the liberation project soon after independence.
“Nkomo died a very disappointed person in that he saw the project of nationalists collapse on April 18, 1980, and people became something different from what they had originally desired to achieve,” he said.
Mzila-Ndlovu criticised governance failures, corruption and tribal divisions, saying these had destroyed national unity.
“A nation is not built out of the massacre of innocent civilians,” he said.
“You can’t build a nation out of discriminating regions where you prefer one tribal region over another.
“If you look at the obscene wealth of the Zanu PF elite, compare that with what we saw of Ian Smith and his cabinet, there’s something sinister that is happening.
“When you suddenly become a multi-billionaire overnight and the state is not interested in knowing how did you become a billionaire, then there is a problem.”
He said Zimbabweans were demanding equal access to opportunities and national resources rather than inclusion in corrupt systems.
“People do not want to be beggars. They are saying there are opportunities that we were promised by the nationalists when the country became independent, and these opportunities must be equally distributed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Veteran Activists Association Zimbabwe (VAAZ), an organisation of veterans in the formation of the opposition MDC, commemorated victims of alleged State-sponsored violence and political persecution.
In a statement issued on Saturday to mark a day of remembrance for victims of political repression, VAAZ national spokesperson Blessing Mandava said thousands of Zimbabweans had suffered or died for standing up for democracy and defending the ideals of the liberation struggle.
“Our hearts are heavy as we remember how thousands of patriotic citizens were butchered in cold blood by the regime for crimes of conscience. They all paid the ultimate price for a free Zimbabwe for all,” he said.
VAAZ also remembered activists and opposition figures who allegedly died under suspicious circumstances over the years, claiming some were poisoned, abducted or killed in orchestrated incidents.
“Some have died in their sleep, some have been burnt in their homes, some have died in engineered accidents, and some have died from induced illnesses,” Mandava said.
“There are too many dark secrets in the nation.”
The organisation further criticised political violence linked to Zimbabwe’s post-2000 political environment saying opposition supporters became targets following the rejection of the constitutional referendum in 2000.
VAAZ said innocent people were attacked during the fast-track land reform programme, while some opposition activists allegedly disappeared and were never accounted for.
“We continue to demand accountability from the regime and seek closure on the Gukurahundi genocide and the abduction cases,” he said.
The group also called for the implementation of recommendations made by human rights commissions to prevent future abuses and urged authorities to “decriminalise opposition politics”.
“The weaponisation of the law saw hundreds of opposition activists dragged into courts on frivolous charges across the nation,” Mandava said.