Dilemma of political emotions vs the Unity Accord of 1987

The Unity Accord of 1987 remains one of the best thing ever to have happened in Zimbabwe. I recall the day as if it was yesterday and I happened to have been one of the multitudes of people present at the national Stadium that day and to me it will remain enjoyable in my lifetime. The major Parties Zanu-PF Jongwe and-PF Zapu got united and the people got Integrated. It was a historic event and should remain so. Politically, economically and Socially people by nature will find it hard even harder to discard their identity. The way a human being thinks leaves a lot to be desired, even God fails to understand what a human being he created has become.

Come with me, am discussing the Unity Accord in relation to the confusion, the tug of war, mud slinging, skimming and jostling for positions in our Zanu-PF Bulawayo province in the past week. We could say yes there is need for one needing a position but like what I saw at the last election has been repeated. Vote buying, name calling tribal calling is not a good sign, however it explains why we perform badly in the national elections in Bulawayo Province. There is a complete disregard for the Senior leadership in the province, that's why there is this confusion.

I will now concentrate on the tenets of the Unity accord itself. The unity brought two people together in unity however a process of integration was an integral party of the whole process. During this process Bulawayo Province was the only province if any where the leaders witnessed a complete sharing of the Provincial positions between Zanu-PF Jongwe and-PF Zapu ie on a 50/50. Why was that? Bulawayo being a metropolitan city and highly industrialised at that time, it was and still is resident to a majority of people coming from other Provinces. Even though it was a stronghold of-PF Zapu, the Zanu-PF Jongwe had a good command of support as well. Hence it became necessary to share the positions so to speak.

All the people were comfortable with that arrangement. At the top leadership special positions were also allocated for-PF Zapu and Bulawayo got a better share in that. Am happy to say to this date even if we lose elections perennially in Bulawayo our local leaders still get an allocation of positions up there and respect too. As time passed by elections came and gone in the process imbalances began to affect the original locals as they felt they were losing out control to those coming from other Provinces. Having been a DCC chairman in one of the most turbulent area formerly DCC1 I experienced the heat, some even shared their sentiments openly with me. Some unknowingly took it to be tribalism but for me it seemed a case of people who felt so desperate due to entitlement. Obviously, its human nature to defend one's niche and there is nothing wrong in all that, I could do thr same if I was in Mashonaland Province where I come from. And we all have to respect that. However, like I said earlier on, it was important for the Party to keep observing the original set up and maintain a controlled democracy for harmony and good co-existence. Because people no matter how strong we glue them they won't lose their past Identity. Hence people always say I was from this Party or that party together with so and so. Its happening here in Bulawayo today itself.

To other Zanu-PF provinces what i am saying will not make sense but all those in Bulawayo will appreciate the facts to be true. Now we have reached the point where the locals formerly of-PF Zapu feel threatened by the turn of events caused by elections where those from other provinces are becoming the majority and jostling for influential positions and it is becoming hard to maintain the foothold hence the instability. This exacerbated by the corrupt tendencies of others, we are in a serious crisis.

In such a situation obviously those who claim entitlement will feel caged and suffocated. This alone caused the departure of a number of people to form a splinter Zapu and others joining opposition Parties out of frustration. We need to correct that and I can bet my last jacket we will have everyone back and no other party can win elections against us in Bulawayo. It is here, where marginalisation and Devolution are sung. Its not true that we are marginalised. The real cause is that people just feel insecure and use that as a tool to defend their territory. Its not everyone who think that, but those who crave for positions who push the agenda to the people in order to be heard. No one has the guts to talk about the important aspects of the Unity Accord for fear we might call them traitors. But I think its necessary to speak about it if it causes us to lose elections. Some will pretend to be Zanu-PF when in actual sense they are something else.

Why am I saying all this? We need to pay attention to the needs of the Bulawayo Province which also happens to be centre of politics for Whole of Matabeleland. Suffice to say even those in the other two adjoining provinces have big interest in Bulawayo affairs. Since a few years ago we have seen people being pushed into Bulawayo from those provinces heavily sponsored to take up positions using money, all this to have influence over Bulawayo.

We need to start retracing our footsteps back to where we started. It is said one must take heed of the haya, the rain bird of the coming storm.