Opinion / Columnist
ZIPRA and MK: Commemorate an alliance sealed with blood
23 Aug 2014 at 20:35hrs | Views
On the 2nd August 2012, The South African President, Jacob Zuma launched a programme of honouring the MK veterans who fought running battles in Wankie/Sipolilo area in the then Rhodesia.
On the 30th of July 1967, a combined MK and ZIPRA contingent crossed the Zambezi River from Zambia. And were soon detected by the Rhodesian forces, a number of battles were fought from the 12th August 1967 to late 1968.
Today, 23rd August 2014 in Johannesburg at Berea Park, the MK and ZIPRA combatants held a commemorative event of the gallant and heroic exploits exhibited in those battles.
Soon after the event a telephone interview was done with Mr Bongani Halimana of ZAPU, who stated that there was a large crowd in the region of two thousand people. Various organisations were in attendance such as the ANC, MK veterans, ZIPRA veterans, SACP and other organisations.
"The event seemed to remind most of us who attended the unfinished business by the ZIPRA forces" said Mr Halimana.
Speaker after speaker thanked the collaboration between ZIPRA and MK, and they reminded those who did not know the history of the SA and Zimbabwean liberation struggles about the important role which was played by ZIPRA in liberating Zimbabwe and helping MK to wage its armed struggle.
The government of Zimbabwe does not acknowledge the contribution made by ZAPU and ZIPRA during the liberation struggle. Immediately after independence all ZAPU war records were confiscated by the government of Robert Mugabe and no one knows what happened to the confiscated documents. The Unity Accord which was signed in 1987 did not help either. This has made it easy for ZANU to falsify the liberation history.
Mr D. Matshelela the ZAPU Secretary for administration in South Africa thanked the ANC, MK and the people of South Africa for being patient with Zimbabweans who are seeking refuge in their country in their time of need running away from the draconian rule of Mr Robert Mugabe. "We won't stay a day longer, we won't overstay our welcome, as soon as we attain our freedom we will all go back home to be with our families and to develop our country" Mr Matshelela said.
On the 2nd August 2012, when President Jacob Zuma was launching the programme to honour MK veterans who fought in Wankie/Sipolilo battles he said "We are happy to launch this programme of the recognition of our veterans by honouring those who fought in the Wankie and Sipolilo in Zimbabwe in the 1960s following the declaration of the armed struggle".
The same recognition should be bestowed on ZIPRA veterans who fought in Sipolilo and other battles. It is incumbent upon ZAPU to initiate programmes of this nature. We know that the government will not.
The placard which was carried by a ZIPRA veteran seemed to sum up everything, it read "ZIPRA and MK an alliance sealed with the blood of our heroes"
It is hoped that the alliance between the ANC and ZAPU will continue; and the alliance between MK and ZIPRA will continue too.
ZANU PF is currently attempting to dupe people into believing that ZANU PF and ANC had an alliance during the liberation struggle, if the truth be told, Mugabe and ZANU Pf worked in cohorts, after 1980, with the SA apartheid regime against the ANC and MK.
Source - Thulani Nkala
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