'Zimbabwe has National Unity and I don't support Devolution of Power' Simba Makoni

2008 Presidential elections hopeful, Dr Simba Makoni's party Mavambo Kusile Dawn says that Zimbabwe achieve total national unity through the Unity Accord signed between PF ZAPU and ZANU on 22 December 1987.

In a post contributing to an opinion posted on online publication Zimeye, MKD writer construed to be Dr Makoni says that Zimbabwe has indeed achieved national unity albeit it being forced and not understood by the people.

"Yes, Zimbabwe has achieved national unity, albeit forced and little understood. "

The topic on discussion was that Zimbabwe can not claim to have achieved national unity without going through a truth and reconciliation process. The argument of the opinion written by independent political analyst Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo was that unity should be a result of a reconciliation process and not a situation where reconciliation is expected to be a result of unification.

In response, Dr Makoni praises the two leaders of PF ZAPU and ZANU for managing to come up with the unity accord. "If there is one thing I thank both Mugabe and Dr. Nkomo (posthumously) for, it is their architecture of this thing called UNITY. It has shaped present day Zimbabwe." Said the statement.

Arguments earlier posted by other readers were that Zimbabwe is still wrinkled in serious tribal differences where the country's two major tribes the Ndebele and the Shona still have a very terrible tribal rage. The contributors believed that the unification of the two political parties has not really gone down to address the tribal divisions in the country. Of great concern were the Gukurahundi atrocities of the early 80s which contributors felt should have been tackled and a form of appeasement reached before any water holding unity.

In response MKD statement disagrees with this instead congratulating the unity accord for patching the ethnic differences in the country.

"Zimbabwe is an ethnically fragile country but the amalgamated ZANU PF (since 1987) has expertly patched up the ethnic tectonics. Well done!" Says the statement.

On the marginalisation of other regions in the country, MKD was quick to agree that there was indeed marginalisation of other regions. According to Makoni, the marginalisation can be resolved by government de centralising the country's development to other regions and not devolving the governmental powers to the regions. The statement states that it is very much against the devolution of power concept because of some not specified long term effects.

"There is ubiquitous evidence that some people, regions, quarters, ethnic groups, etc. are being neglected in this unity arrangement. I have always said let's dicentralize development and not pack everything in Harare. If we continue with such a development trajectory, then those fighting for devolution will have a strong case. I don't support it (devolution) myself – for fear of the considered long-term effects!"

There has generally been a huge cry particularly from the Matebeleland and Manicaland provinces for a full devolution of power system of governance in the country. The issue was very thorny in the constitution making process and run up to the elections. The ruling ZANU PF party was strongly against the concept of devolution of power opting rather for descentralisation of government programmes as lobbied for by Makoni in this case.

Makoni's MKD party did not participate in the 2013 elections opting to go into a "grand alliance" with the MDC T led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. In the 2008 elections, the MKD was in another alliance with the Professor Welshman Ncube led MDC then led by Professor Author Mutambara.