Message from Zapu Europe chairperson

The serving Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) was elected on the 24th March 2012.  Let us bear in mind that last month was this PEC's first anniversary. As part of the second of our four main principles of inner party democracy that calls for periodical accountability of all the elected organs of the party to those that elected them and vice versa, the PEC has called for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held on Saturday 4th May, 2013 in order that we have an opportunity to account to the membership for what we have done during the first year of our term. This is going to be accountability in the real sense of the word. Before elaborating on this important event, allow me to briefly take you through these four principles of inner- party democracy I have just alluded to:

Principle 1:- Election/ electiveness of all leading organs of the party from the bottom to the top.

Principle 2:- Periodical accountability/reporting of all the elected organs of the party to those that elected them and vice versa.

Principle 3:- Free discussion, strict discipline and subordination of the minority to the majority in making party decisions.

Principle 4:- Decisions from top party organs are binding to all lower ones.

These will be explained further in our workshops.

I am inviting you all to attend this gathering in great numbers, as this meeting does make decisions in accordance with the party constitution and also endorses those decisions made by the PEC outside the AGM.

It is also an opportunity for the PEC to listen to the views and concerns of the membership, where they also have the right to constructively exercise freedom of criticism and self criticism. We will be reporting on all of the activities of the party in our province. Suffice it to say the report will focus on every activity which occurred in the last year, ranging from membership growth, general party activities, finances, major decisions made outside of the AGM, interaction with the main party bodies back home, including the leadership, as well as other diaspora provinces, right up to the vision for the future of the province.

Again, although it will be party members making party decisions, all are welcome, (Zimbabweans and non Zimbabweans) to attend and observe. This includes media bodies, private persons and any interested organisations and people.

They will mingle and be entertained to really enjoy ZAPU hospitality that qualifies us as a mother party in our country.

This AGM will, among other things, nominate our party's Presidential candidate for the forthcoming Presidential elections in our country.

The way things unfold across the political and social spectrum in Zimbabwe, each day brings its revelation on how crucial it is that civic organisations and the country at large especially the younger generation and the youth begin to understand ZAPU and work with it in order to fulfill its historical mission of setting the country and its people free. Through ZAPU real freedom is achievable.

Surely, citizens of our beloved country you were robbed of an opportunity to know ZAPU, the party of all your forefathers. Those dealing in frivolity and nefarious agendas have attempted over the time to portray the People's Party as a rebel movement, a party which did not contribute towards the liberation of our beloved country. Time is a great leveller, now those who have been besmirching the People's Party have been exposed as counter-revolutionaries, through the mismanagement of the country, where nepotism and corruption is the name of the game. The death of Baroness Margaret Thatcher has revealed that the ruling party in Zimbabwe had a cosy relationship with her in unleashing the dogs of war on the innocent people of Zimbabwe.  

These accusations and allegations against the People's Party were in spite of the fact that ZAPU had handed its military wing to the government of the day as well as arsenals of military hardware. This was at a time when ZIPRA was at its apex of military strength, when it was ready to wage a conventional warfare and defend liberated zones. This was the time when ZIPRA and ZAPU were to finally push the walls of segregation back to where it came from.

The demobilisation of ZIPRA forces was out of discipline, respect and love of our country. ZIPRA and ZAPU wanted to give the country a chance to unite and rebuild, for the progress and development of all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or political affiliation, even when from the onset it was clear that the outcome of the vote was heavily compromised.

It is clear that with the evils we have witnessed in our country at the hands of those that misrule and misgovern it on our behalf, if strong measures are not instigated, the country will never know any peace. Not in our time and more so for posterity. Most of our people are no longer interested in the words 'liberation struggle' as they feel that these words have been corrupted by the ruling party, to sideline other Zimbabweans from running the affairs of their country and contributing to its welfare. Whilst liberation remains the core value of ZAPU, the mother party does not see and has never regarded liberators as only those who belonged to ZIPRA or those who had guns. In its definition of liberators, it has always included those who provided food, hiding places, clothing, information, organising, moral support and financial support. All of these contributed to the liberation of the country. ZAPU liberated the country to enable people to self-determine their destiny, to exercise free choice through freely voting for a party of their choice, which at that time meets their needs through its policies.

On the other hand, over the years and up to this day, the ruling party has ensured that Zimbabweans remain suspicious of each other on tribal lines. As a result Zimbabweans have dug tribal trenches and as such can hardly see beyond the prism of their tribal trenches. ZAPU will change that.  

Zimbabweans, fellow countrymen and women, it is just evil teaching based on fear and lack of self-confidence which was falsely introduced by the ruling party and it must be undone. Progressive and democratic nations pride themselves in their liberation history and never seek to falsify it. As in the words of former South African president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, "Remember the horror you have come from and do not forget those that stood up for freedom".  

The following profound truths will vindicate my expositions above:

What will it profit a nation that the present day youths and our future generations grow up with a false teaching of history and when they travel the world they meet other countries' academics who know a different and true version of our own history?

I listened to one of the three Zimbabwean government ministers who visited the UK recently when he said his party pioneered the liberation struggle. I asked myself, did he mean pioneering the political campaign or the military one? I then said to myself the first political party that brought Zimbabweans together was the African National Congress formed in 1957. After its banning in 1959, it was replaced by the NDP in January 1960. The NDP was banned in December 1961 and was replaced on the 17th December 1961 by ZAPU. His party broke away from ZAPU on the 8th August 1963. This means, on the political terrain, this minister's party was never a pioneer organisation. The minister was just telling lies as usual. ZAPU will now, at every instance, seek to challenge these deliberate endeavours to misinform the public. Those misinforming the public are doing so in order to falsify the history of our motherland with the sole purpose of claiming glory for the liberation of our country.

This is contrary to hard facts. For instance, fact remains that, on the military front, most of the senior commanders of their military wing during the liberation struggle were former members of ZIPRA. To name but a few; our country's late former army commander who died in a mysterious inferno was a former ZIPRA before he defected to their party. The late former deputy minister of Labour, Manpower Planning and Social Welfare Robson Manyika was a former ZIPRA military chief of staff before he defected to their party. On the military terrain their party was never a pioneer unless if the word 'pioneer' has a different meaning in the said minister's party.

I also read on the news an interview featuring a very senior politician in the land in which he was giving concocted reasons for having defected from ZAPU to join his party in the 60s. He gave silly and frivolous reasons like that our late Chibwe Chitedza lied to them as they went to meet the then Tanzanian president the late J. Nyerere and that Joshua Nkomo was being misled by James Chikerema. This man continues to trample on Joshua Nkomo's dignity and legacy by deliberately misrepresenting facts. This senior politician lied by stating that he had not wanted to depose, yet it is well known and well documented that this senior politician was the ring leader in scheming against Joshua Nkomo and that his reason for doing so were informed by tribalism. At some point, this senior politician had said to his colleagues that ZAPU should be led by a Shona as they were the majority. This is how tribalism was introduced to the politics of our country and, the ruling party, true to its founding principles of tribalism,  has continued to rule the country in that vein. ZAPU will seek to reverse that inclination towards tribalism.

Strangely and, as expected, this senior politician does not mention anything about the letter he was involved in writing in April 1963 in Dar es Salaam which they intended sending to party representatives in other countries, unconstitutionally undermining the party leadership especially that of Joshua Nkomo. The letter was intercepted by the Late Joseph Msika who was dispatched by Joshua Nkomo to go and update those in Tanzania and also see how they were preparing for the Cold Comfort Farm congress. After intercepting the letter, the late Msika produced it in a subsequent meeting the next day. Washington Malianga, who was part of the conspiracy and who happened to be sitting next to the late Joseph Msika, quickly saw the letter and tried to grab it from Msika. Exchanges of fists ensued with Msika shoving Malianga through the window out of the building. Joseph Msika informed the leadership of the existence of the evidence. The congress scheduled for April was postponed to August the same year and those involved in the conspiracy were suspended. If this was not scheming and counter-revolutionary, then I don't know what scheming is.

This is just to show how crucial it is that ZAPU fulfils its historical mission for the benefit of all, especially the young and future generations.

After this forthcoming crucial AGM, there are more things to come as we march on.

As we all know, on the 25th May 1963 thirty - two African countries converged in the Ethiopian capital and formed the OAU (now AU) and that this day is celebrated all over Africa as Africa day.

This year, ZAPU Europe will, on the 1st June, celebrate AFRICA DAY in true liberation ZAPU style. Preparations for this event are underway and finer details will be sent out in due course.

Last but not least many of us in the party were so much worried to read the communiqué from a recently ended Youth conference of Southern Africa liberation movements that took place in South Africa in which Frelimo, MPLA, ZANU, ANC, SWAPO and Chama cha Mapinduzi participated.

On concluding their conference, they vowed to make sure their organisations stayed in power and also that in the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe ZANU PF must win. Only the ANC youth head warned against violence. What worries us even more is that the youth, more so in our beloved Zimbabwe, have been brain washed into believing that the whole purpose of the liberation struggle was to entrench a political party to stay in power indefinitely. This has been so deliberate and systematic that most young people do not bother about freedom and civil liberties when they join security apparatus and they are easily used to butcher their fellow citizens and still think it is right to do so.

Fellow citizens, the main purpose of the liberation struggle was the liberation of our peoples and to give them the right to chose leaders and elect governments freely. That was the priority. As ZAPU we stand proven as respecters of the will of the people and we remain cognisant of this fact in all our dealings.

Let us meet in Birmingham on the 4th May 2013 to begin building the way to Freedom. The programme of the day includes a presentation by a respectable academic whose line of study has a lot to do with politics.

Thank You,

Christopher Maphosa. (ZAPU Europe Provincial Chairperson)