ZAPU yesterday said today’s Unity Day must be recognised as an occasion to mourn the over 20 000 people killed in post-independence civil disturbances in the Midlands and Matabeleland instead of celebrating the signing of the Unity Accord.
BY NIZBERT MOYO
The party’s secretary general Strike Mkandla told The Standard in an interview that late vice-president Joshua Nkomo was forced to sign the agreement in 1987 in order to stop the killing of innocent civilians.
“It is a day of mourning the killing of over 20 000 which led to the signing of the Unity Accord because a lot of Zapu people had been killed,” he said.
“Up to now we do not know why they were killed, who killed them and how those who were affected survive?
“There is no rotational mechanism of leadership in the Unity Accord as this failed even during Joshua Nkomo’s era in the government as he was even the second vice president after Simon Muzenda”.
Mkandla said the Dumiso Dabengwa led party broke ranks with Zanu PF in 2010 in order to become independent.
He said Dabengwa had done a good job leading the party.
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Ibhetshu likazulu secretary, Mbuso Fuzwayo also said the government must reveal the reasons behind the national holiday.
“For nation building the government must start telling the truth. It is important to admit that a mistake was done and lets address it so that the survivors will realise that there is need to forgive,’’ he said.
