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Zapu war vets rap Mnangagwa over violation of Unity Accord
15 Jun 2024 at 05:59hrs | Views
Max Mkandla, leader of the Zipra war veterans, has criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa for straying from the Unity Accord agreement signed by former President Robert Mugabe and Vice-President Joshua Nkomo in 1987.
The Unity Accord was intended to end post-independence hostilities between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu.
Mkandla expressed concerns to Southern Eye, stating that key ministries originally allocated to Zapu under the agreement, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, have been taken over by Zanu-PF. He emphasized that these ministries were strategically assigned to address specific issues, including the recruitment of police and the issuance of passports, which were crucial for victims of Gukurahundi needing documentation.
While the Vice-President position remains occupied by someone from Zapu structures, Mkandla insists that to honor the Unity Accord, the government must engage individuals from Zapu backgrounds in key roles. He noted that the deviation from the agreement has led some people to leave the party for opposition politics.
Mkandla also highlighted that other important ministries, such as Finance and Industry, should be led by individuals with war credentials and connections to Zapu, as intended in the original agreement. The Unity Accord was crucial in ending the violence in Matabeleland and Midlands, where about 20,000 people were killed during the conflict from 1982 to 1987.
The Unity Accord was intended to end post-independence hostilities between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu.
Mkandla expressed concerns to Southern Eye, stating that key ministries originally allocated to Zapu under the agreement, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, have been taken over by Zanu-PF. He emphasized that these ministries were strategically assigned to address specific issues, including the recruitment of police and the issuance of passports, which were crucial for victims of Gukurahundi needing documentation.
Mkandla also highlighted that other important ministries, such as Finance and Industry, should be led by individuals with war credentials and connections to Zapu, as intended in the original agreement. The Unity Accord was crucial in ending the violence in Matabeleland and Midlands, where about 20,000 people were killed during the conflict from 1982 to 1987.
Source - southern eye
