Zimbabwe remembers Dr Joshua Nkomo, 26 years on

Today marks 26 years since the passing of Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, affectionately known as "Father Zimbabwe," with the nation pausing to reflect on the enduring legacy of the late liberation icon and Vice President.

Nkomo, who died on 1 July 1999, remains a unifying figure in Zimbabwe's political history - a man who dedicated his life to the country's liberation and reconciliation, even as post-independence Zimbabwe continued to wrestle with the chains of division, violence, and authoritarianism.

Nkomo's popularity, which soared both before and after independence, was rooted in his lifelong resistance to colonial rule and his firm belief in unity. But his journey was far from smooth. During the early 1980s, he was forced into exile after the government, under then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, deployed the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade into Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands. The campaign - carried out under the guise of quelling "dissidents" - resulted in the killing of an estimated 20,000 mostly Ndebele civilians and supporters of Nkomo's ZAPU party.

His statue - a towering bronze figure erected in Bulawayo by North Korea's Mansudae Art Studio - now stands at the intersection of Joshua Nkomo Street and 8th Avenue, symbolising both the magnitude of his legacy and the contradictions of Zimbabwe's tortured history.

In a statement released Tuesday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who served as State Security Minister during the Gukurahundi atrocities, praised Nkomo as a liberator and Pan-African statesman.

"Chibwe Chitedza, as Dr Nkomo came to be popularly known, endured imprisonment in notorious camps such as Gonakudzingwa, but the colonial efforts failed to break his spirit," said Mnangagwa. "Today, twenty-six years later, Zimbabwe can look back with pride to the life of a liberator, an astute politician, a champion of Pan-Africanism."

Mnangagwa hailed Nkomo's advocacy for peace and unity, saying: "Umdala Wethu and his generation of impeccable revolutionaries always preached peace as the bedrock of nation-building."

Zanu-PF politburo member Tendai Chirau also paid tribute to Nkomo, describing him as a visionary and selfless leader.

"A visionary who began the fight against colonialism in his youth, Cde Nkomo was a true statesman whose leadership left indelible marks on history," Chirau posted on X.

However, not all voices accepted the tributes in good faith. Critics took to social media to accuse Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF of insincerity and hypocrisy.

Former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda dismissed the commemorations as disingenuous: "Your commemoration isn't sincere. You hated him to the bone," he posted.

Another user, @MrMatebele, wrote: "Emmerson and Robert Mugabe tormented this man. Funny how today you are remembering him after killing his commanders and people of Matebeleland…what a disgrace."

Opposition leader and former MP for Tshabalala, Gift Ostalos Siziba, offered a more heartfelt tribute, calling Nkomo "a revolutionary icon with extraordinary character and unwavering discipline," and recalling his iconic message: "Zimbabwe will not die, its young people will save it."

Dr Nkomo was born on 19 June 1917 in Matopo and became one of the founding fathers of Zimbabwe's liberation movement. He co-founded the National Democratic Party in 1960 and later the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). Detained for a decade by the Rhodesian regime, he returned to lead the resistance and eventually entered into a unity pact with ZANU in 1987, helping to calm civil unrest.

Despite a resolution passed at ZANU-PF's 2024 annual conference in Bulawayo to declare July 1 a national holiday in Nkomo's honour, the proposal has yet to be officially endorsed by President Mnangagwa.

Dr Joshua Nkomo died at the age of 82 at Parirenyatwa Hospital and was buried with full honours at the National Heroes Acre in Harare. His legacy - a blend of courage, resilience, and forgiveness - continues to inspire generations.