News / National
'Unity Accord in danger'
04 Aug 2014 at 06:11hrs | Views
ZANU PF senior official Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has warned that the Unity Accord is in danger as the fight for top posts escalates ahead of the party's December congress.
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 is 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 Joshua Nkomo, Joseph Msika and John Nkomo passed on?"
The 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 (Joseph) Msika took over (Joshua) Nkomo's position as vice -president and when (John) Nkomo came on board as well as when we nominated Simon Khaya Moyo as national chairman," Ndlovu
said.
"We corrected that with the support of the majority progressive revolutionary provincial co-ordination committees 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 indicated that he would be interested in the post that Moyo is expected to vacate at the congress as he is largely expected to become second vice-president.
However, former PF Zapu members believe the post is reserved for them, setting the stage for a bruising battle that could put the accord that ended the Gukurahundi atrocities on the line.
Mutasa and Gumbo have stated that there was nothing in the Unity Accord indicating the post was reserved for former PF Zapu members, an assertion Ndlovu blasted.
"Unity meant mutual respect and making national resources available, government agencies, parastatals boards (being) equitably (shared) between former PF Zapu and former Zanu-PF," he said.
"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 attacked the two for discussing the matter in the private media. Ndlovu also revealed that there were some senior leaders who had coined a slogan "Pamberi ne Zanu PF chaiyo chaiyo (forward with the original Zanu PF)".
"This is dangerous and cannot be tolerated," he said.
In 2008, one of the surviving former top PF Zapu officials Dumiso Dabengwa quit Zanu PF. One of the reasons was that the Unity Accord was not being respected especially when it came to posts.
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 is 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 Joshua Nkomo, Joseph Msika and John Nkomo passed on?"
The 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 (Joseph) Msika took over (Joshua) Nkomo's position as vice -president and when (John) Nkomo came on board as well as when we nominated Simon Khaya Moyo as national chairman," Ndlovu
said.
"We corrected that with the support of the majority progressive revolutionary provincial co-ordination committees 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 indicated that he would be interested in the post that Moyo is expected to vacate at the congress as he is largely expected to become second vice-president.
However, former PF Zapu members believe the post is reserved for them, setting the stage for a bruising battle that could put the accord that ended the Gukurahundi atrocities on the line.
Mutasa and Gumbo have stated that there was nothing in the Unity Accord indicating the post was reserved for former PF Zapu members, an assertion Ndlovu blasted.
"Unity meant mutual respect and making national resources available, government agencies, parastatals boards (being) equitably (shared) between former PF Zapu and former Zanu-PF," he said.
"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 attacked the two for discussing the matter in the private media. Ndlovu also revealed that there were some senior leaders who had coined a slogan "Pamberi ne Zanu PF chaiyo chaiyo (forward with the original Zanu PF)".
"This is dangerous and cannot be tolerated," he said.
In 2008, one of the surviving former top PF Zapu officials Dumiso Dabengwa quit Zanu PF. One of the reasons was that the Unity Accord was not being respected especially when it came to posts.
Source - Southern Eye
