Let's celebrate liberation icon Joshua Nkomo's life

Tomorrow, it will be 17 years since one of Zimbabwe's founding fathers, former Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo died. He was there when the first black-led political parties were formed in the country in the 1950s. But as a trade unionist earlier, Dr Nkomo was at the centre of the popular demand for workers' rights for blacks. During the 1948 general strike, only months after he had returned from South Africa where he had acquired a degree in social work and soon after he got a job at the Rhodesia Railways, now National Railways of Zimbabwe, Dr Nkomo was part of the organisers of the industrial action.

Working with the likes of Grey Mabalane Bango, Dr Nkomo offered his vehicle to transport the unionists to Njelele where they sought spiritual guidance in prosecuting what we argue to be the country's first bold confrontation against the colonial regime.

Dr Nkomo was born on June 19, 1917, to Thomas Nyongolo Letswana Nkomo in the then Semukwe Reserve in Matabeleland South.

After completing his primary school education, the late Vice-President took a carpentry course at the Tsholotsho Government Industrial School. He studied there for a year and later became a driver.

Shortly after that, he worked as a teacher, specialising in woodwork at Manyame School in Kezi.

In 1942, he left the country to further his education in South Africa where he attended Adams College and Jan Hofmeyer School of Social Work.

In South Africa he met the icon of that country's liberation struggle, Nelson Mandela and other nationalists of African liberation, most of whom were studying at Fort Hare University. The contacts he had with fellow nationalists provided the foundation for his future political career. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work.

After returning to Bulawayo in 1948 he became the first black person to be appointed to the position of social worker at Rhodesia Railways, a decent job that was generally held by whites then. He then studied for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Sociology with the University of South Africa (Unisa).

In 1952 Dr Nkomo became leader of the African National Congress of Rhodesia. The party was soon banned but that did not extinguish his nationalism and that of his peers as in 1960, at the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP); he was elected its president.

The NDP was banned too. Dr Nkomo and his colleagues were back at it in 1962, when they formed the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) which was banned a few months later.

Zapu split in 1963 and Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) was formed.

On April 16, 1964, Dr Nkomo was arrested, detained and spent the next 10 years at the notorious Gonakudzingwa detention camp, in the malarial south-eastern Lowveld, sharing space with the likes of Joseph Msika, Josiah Chinamano, and Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.

He was released in 1974, but an indefatigable Dr Nkomo left the country to lead the armed liberation war, from Zambia through the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Zipra).

As commander-in-chief, Dr Nkomo coordinated recruitment, training, acquisition of weapons, deployment of personnel and arms into the country. The white regime, fighting two liberation movements – Zipra from Zambia and Zanla from Mozambique – realised that the war would be soon lost so agreed to go to the negotiating table. The liberators and the settler regime held a series of talks at Malta, Geneva, Victoria Falls and finally at Lancaster, which led to the attainment of Independence on April 18, 1980.

His party, Zapu contested the first democratic election in 1980, lost and decided to be part of the first multi-racial government where he served as Minister of Home Affairs.

On December 22, 1987, he as Zapu leader and President Mugabe as Zanu leader, signed the Unity Accord that ended civil disturbances in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands and took up the post of Vice President of the country. That was until that sad day on July 1, 1999, when the luminary of luminaries lost his battle against prostate cancer in Harare.

We learn a lot from such an illustrious history. We learn the importance of selflessness. Young Joshua had a degree, a massive achievement in the 1940s, got a good job at one of the country's choicest employers of that time and could lead a fulfilling life. He however realised that all the money, all the luxury without freedom meant nothing. That is why he agreed to drive the unionists to Njelele in his own car. That is why he led the political parties that were formed later to prosecute the struggle.

He championed unity, peace and national development. He was determined – he led a number of parties that were immediately banned, but did not tire in the struggle. He was at Gonakudzingwa for 10 long years, but on his release he decided to scale up the struggle.

Therefore when we mark the 17th anniversary of the passing of the great man, we must always strive to be selfless, seek national unity and continue to uphold the principles of the liberation struggle.