“The observation of the December 22, 1987 Unity Accord is a
continuation of Zimbabwe's national aspiration to remain a united people. It is
a universally recognised fact that unity breeds harmony, peace and progress in
every field of human endeavour,” wrote Saul Ndlovu.
The 22 December 1987 Unity Accord between Zanu PF and PF Zapu
was not about peace and progress if they were then where is the peace and
progress in a country that is being torn apart is political turmoil and chaos and
who economy is in total meltdown.
The Unity Accord was the fulfilment of Mugabe’s tyrannical
dream of creating a de facto one-party dictatorship in outward appearance but
in fact a one-man dictatorship. In the Unity Accord Mugabe was named as the
first secretary of the united party, a clear indication this was going to be a
one-man dictatorship.
The December 1987 Unity Accord was preceded by the
Gukurahundi massacres in which over 20 000 mainly PF Zapu supporters including
unarmed and defenceless civilians were murdered in what every honest analyst
will admit was an attempt to destroy PF Zapu as a political entity. Mugabe
himself has said again and again during those Gukurahundi days that the regime
was fighting those who do not want “unity”. Indeed Mugabe has used the language
and applied the same brutal violence since December 1987 against all his
political opponents and critics.
More than 10 000 innocent Zimbabweans have been murdered
since the signing of the Unity Accords; is that peace?
The one-man dictatorship Mugabe has created has stifled all
meaningful debate and democratic competition within Zanu PF itself and in the
nation at large in the name of unity. The nation has paid dearly for this
stifling political environment because the all-powerful Mugabe has appointed
his cronies in every sector of the economy to serve his no regime change agenda
above all else allowing mismanagement and corruption to destroy the country
politically and economically.
The people of Zimbabwe have aware of Mugabe’s failure to
deliver economic prosperity which he has promised again and again but have been
stuck with the tyrant. Mugabe has stayed in power for 35 years now because he
was able to rig elections at will – in the name of unity, of course.
As someone who risked life and limp fighting in the liberation because I really believed that we, blacks, were being short changed by the white colonialists by being denied our freedom and human dignity and nothing encapsulated that denial more than being denied a meaningful vote. I have been greatly disappointed by the easy with which President Mugabe was able to take away the right to a meaningful and free vote.
ReplyDeleteGukurahundi was not just a war against PF Zapu leaders and their supporters, it was a war of subju-gation against the whole nation. On 22 December 1987 Mugabe was celebrating his victory against the nation no different from the political reality imposed by the victorious white colonialists after crashing the last black attempts to drive them out of the country. In both cases the blacks lost their meaningful vote.
There is absolutely no reason why PF Zapu and Zanu PF's unity had to mean anyone losing their right to free and meaningful vote, the right the nation had paid so dearly to win back from the colonialists. What makes this even more tragic is that after decades of being short changed, being denied their freedom and right to vote, some people have still not cogged on that they are being conned.
When people first set out to fight for independence everyone was fighting for the full compliment of human rights and freedoms but as the goal got nearer people like Mugabe, the aspiring new black leaders, started taking out things they did not want people to have just to enrich their own basket of freedoms and rights as leaders. Mugabe wanted the people to have the right to vote as long as that right was limited to voting for him and no one else.
DeleteOnce elected into power he started taking away more and more chunks out of the people's basket of freedoms and rights. As it became increasing evident that he was a corrupt and incompetent leader he became even more ruthless in his efforts to stop people voting him out of office not even the right to life was to be considered untouchable!
Like all tyrant, Mugabe had no problem finding an excuse for denying the people their rights and freedoms; he was denying people their freedoms and rights to preserve the nation's unity, independence and peace. He is denying us the right to end the corruption and tyranny for "our own good!" The tragedy is that some people failed to see through the naked lie!
Mugabe is doing exactly what the whites were doing!
We really need to wise up!
Mugabe's independence present to the nation did not have the right to free and fair elections and ever since the tyrant has been taking away more and more freedoms and rights and today the box is now empty. In theory the box is supposed to be full of pearls in practice it is completely empty. Mugabe is treating us as if we are two year olds who would not know the true value of freedom, human rights, justice, etc., the pearls that he has taken away, and we are to be content playing with the empty box!
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