mbulelo smpofu
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
UNITY, peace and development. All three words are deeply rooted in the Zanu-PF way, such that they have become our official motto, as Zanu-PF recognises that without unity, there is no peace and without peace there is no development.
Unity is more than just a word; it is the essential cog in the machinery designed to achieve development for our people. Unity is the fabric that binds us all together. Without it, we cannot achieve anything meaningful. Many nations are still locked up in dire situations because of the lack of unity among their people.
Our nation has been able to achieve so much because of our firm belief and grounding in unity.
Unity has always been desired even before independence and the Unity Accord was the embodiment of this desire. The Unity Accord brought to life the long-held quest to fully unite our nation. There is no deeper belief within Zanu-PF than unity.
Unity is at the centre of Zanu-PF. Zanu-PF exists because of unity, and to ensure that such unity lasts for a lifetime and beyond. When the principals of the then most prominent movements that had ushered in our independence, that is the late former President Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, made the bold decision on 22 December 1987, to form one united movement, it forever changed the face and trajectory of our nation.
Zimbabwe owes a great debt of gratitude to these two late luminaries for ushering in a new age for the nation and forever uniting Zimbabwe as one. That very selfless act, which placed the interests of Zimbabwe over those of any individual should never be taken lightly. It is through such moments and selfless acts that nations and an entire people are brought into prosperity.
The Unity Accord is without a doubt the most pivotal moment in our nation’s history and can only be compared to the country’s attainment of independence itself. A new Zimbabwe was moulded and shaped around the concept of unity which sought to ensure that our people are one, and forever remain united.
In the absence of unity, our young democracy would have descended into chaos and all the sacrifices of the liberation struggle would have been null and void. It is no secret that our former colonisers were against a free Zimbabwe governed by the black majority.
There were evidently efforts from them to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle. It is at the realisation of such attempts by the enemy that the rightful and bold decision was made to unite the country. It is this unity that ensured that Zimbabwe would never be a colony again.
As we celebrate Unity Day today, the results of that decision taken 37 years ago are there for all to see — a united and prosperous people charting their own path. The greatest gift accorded to us by the Unity Accord was to ensure that, in a new Zimbabwe, there would never be any natural internecine conflicts.
The Unity Accord made all of us realise that we are one, bound by our love for our nation, Zimbabwe.
The goal since then has always been to protect Zimbabwe’s interests at whatever costs. We are duty bound to do this. We are all expected to serve this great nation and unity is an essential ingredient in achieving that quest.
As we enter into yet another interesting phase in our nation, where development of our people and their livelihoods through Vision 2030 is being prioritised, it is essential to note that such an endeavour cannot be achieved without unity. We are therefore called upon to draw from the lessons of the Unity Accord and make use of that same energy and resourcefulness in propelling our nation forward.
There are truly important lessons from the past, and such lessons are still relevant today as they were then. Our people need to be conscientised on the importance of acts such as the Unity Accord that place our nation above everything else. Our people need to be taught of the dangers of divisions and disunity.
The signing of the Unity Accord is indeed a step forward in Zimbabwe’s national political development.
Our nation cannot and will not realise its true goals if we are not united as one. We should maintain this unity for an eternity. Our unity will without a doubt last an eternity. Unity is the foundation of our nation and it shall remain so for the foreseeable future.
Our people understand the importance of our unity and will do whatever it takes to ensure that this unity is never compromised. It is because of this unity that we have been able to stave off any external influence and ward-off any and all regime change antics. It is this unity that will ensure that our nation reaches its desired level of development. Long live Zimbabwe and long live our unity!
ν Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General of Zanu-PF. He writes in his own capacity.
