The Inevitable Rise of ZAPU

I must contend from the onset that the rise of the people's vanguard party ZAPU is inevitable and unstoppable. Everyone who has once associated with the party in the past and expended effort in improving the fortunes of this party should by now have experienced some telepathic communication delivering a message of hope and rebirth of pride. We proudly pay tribute to Dr Dumiso Dabengwa. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Eight months ago, we engaged in a sincere diagnosis of the political problems that we are faced with as a Rainbow Nation of the brave Matebeles who occupy the present day Matebeleland and parts of Midlands. It became apparent that we were facing an onslaught on our identity and being from both Harare led parties, MDC and ZANU PF. Evidently no one told the other that indeed were are now confronted with an existential threat which requires a collective effort by all and sundry of those of Matebele extraction and those who identify with us. I pay great tribute to colleagues who have taken their time to comb through the thickets so as to expose the potential promise.

We have always feared that one day we shall wake up to a Bulawayo that has a council run by Hararians and all the 51 MPs  (including 13 from Midlands) being of Shona extraction. Both MDC and ZANU PF appear to be competing with uncontrollable speed to accomplish the occupation of all political office and productive land and jobs in the Matebele Nation. This is an agenda we must rise up against and defend our space first by the ballot with the hope that it will work. Our people have been displaced from jobs, some are being displaced from resettlements to pave way for those from the East and Economic opportunities are now almost a preserve of those from the East. We have effectively been constitutionally blocked from any chance of leading Zimbabwe and hence the cry by Matebeles for the restoration of the previous two sovereign States. The two vice presidents as provided for in the constitution are designed to make sure that at no point can a Matebele be the State President. The President will always be a Shona person and so is the first vice and the Matebele will always be the second vice. In the event of any incapacitation of the president, the first vice president takes over. We are not overtly barred but it's covert. Therefore we should all abandon these parties and go back home to a non- discriminatory party, ZAPU.

ZAPU as the party that liberated Zimbabwe has a golden opportunity to step in once again and peacefully resolve the problems faced by the people of Matebeleland and Midlands and thus avoiding any possible future conflicts. ZAPU can rise to the occasion without being tribal or anti-semitic. This is the party that has known no race and no tribe in its endeavours to afford everyone an equally opportunity in life. It has a history and heritage too good to throw away or forget about and it is known world-wide.

ZAPU should rebrand both its ideological approach and its operational framework and adopt the following steps with immediate effect:
    1)    It should abandon canvassing for votes from Mashonaland as a State
    2)    It should deploy all its resources and efforts in Matebeleland and Midlands
    3)    It must elect a leader who is in sync with the aspirations of the Matebeles, a leader who is prepared to say the truth and stand for the truth with regards the demands of the people. Age should not be a barrier as long as the leader is Y2K.
    
ZAPU's policies and operations should be anchored on the following four pillars:
1) Matebeleland jobs for the people of and from Matebeleland
2) Matebeleland land for the people of and from Matebeleland
3) Matebeleland political office for the people of and from Matebeleland
4) Matebeleland natural resources for the people of and from Matebeleland

As indicated above, the party must face reality and be bold in its approach. There are a lot of people from Mashonaland provinces who have supported ZAPU since creation and the party should carry these people with it. These people should also realise that the party has tried its best to seek political office from across the country but these efforts have been excessively detrimental to the mainstay constituents of the party. It should be easy for them to understand this new move necessitated by the polarised tribal politics perpetrated against the Matebeles. To that end, all ZAPU supporters should be advised to vote for the alliance partner that ZAPU may choose from time to time depending on who offers the best package in the protection of our sacrosanct values and policies.

ZAPU should immediately open its arms to all political parties that are in the Matebeleland and it must do so unconditional. These include the following, among others, MNP, MLF, ZAPU Federal Party, MRP, MLO, UDM, ANSA, MDC, ZANU and many other political groupings that are ready to work with it. When everyone has come back home including Vimbayi and others whom we describe as amashona akoBulawayo, it should organise a congress and elect its leadership in 2020.

If you are a Matebele this is the party you will have to support and vote for. This will make it easy for the party to mobilise and organise its people across the globe and also offer support to the diaspora community in Europe, America and South Africa including the Oceanic.

ZAPU should stand ready to form an alliance with MDC in 2023 but this alliance should be at presidential vote only.  The party should refuse and block any alliance at parliamentary and local government levels. All its supporters in Mashonaland provinces should vote for the alliance partner, MDC and that MDC should be stopped from fielding candidates in the 51 constituencies of the Matebeles. The supporters of the alliance partner in our area will have to vote for ZAPU and ZAPU will vote for the alliance's presidential candidate.

It was dark yesterday, it can never be dark forever for we have previously seen the sun, nansiya indonsakusa, seliyophuma ilanga.

Mqondobanzi Nduna Magonya
(Founder- Imbovane YaMahlabezulu)