Zimbabwe's Independence Day: A reminder of unfulfilled promises, says opposition ZAPU

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA 

BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), an opposition party in Zimbabwe, has criticized the ruling party ZANU PF on Independence Day; describing the day as a painful reminder of the elusive freedom that war veterans fought for and a "broken social contract". 

ZAPU leader Sibangilizwe Nkomo 

As Zimbabwe marks 44 years of independence from British colonial rule, ZAPU leader Sibangilizwe Nkomo expressed disappointment over the unfulfilled promise of a free Zimbabwe since 1980.

Nkomo criticized the ruling party for its post-independence atrocities in the Matabeleland and Midlands region, accusing it of creating a one-party state at the expense of over 20,000 lives. 

He compared the state-sponsored violence from 1982 to 1987 to Pol Pot’s Cambodia in the 1970s, stating that the people suffered instead of enjoying the fruits of independence.

"Gukurahundi was not a freak moment of madness as once claimed by its chief architect, the late Robert Mugabe, in a futile attempt to absolve himself of any wrongdoing. It was a well-planned and well-orchestrated system meant to subjugate and keep the people of Zimbabwe in constant and perpetual fear, bewilderment and docility," Nkomo said in a statement.

He also criticized the state's monetary policy inconsistency, stating that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has introduced six different currencies in the 44 years of supposed independence, eroding savings and destroying livelihoods. 

He described the latest attempt to establish the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) as "yet another yawn in Zimbabwe’s unending comedy of errors."

Nkomo stressed that Zimbabwe's post-colonial era has been one of a "broken social contract", with the gap between the elites and the poor widening further than it was even during colonialism. 

"The ultimate sacrifices of our revolutionary forebears in ZPRA and ZANLA cannot be obliterated by the passage of time. The red segment of our flag will continue to remind us of their courage and genuine patriotism," he said. 

He concluded with a rallying call for reflection, unity, and a return to the true ideals and values of the liberation struggle that brought Zimbabwe's liberation.

"Let us use this Independence Day, to reflect and take stock of our cumbersome journey since 1980. 

"We call upon all patriotic citizens to put Zimbabwe first. Let us work in unity to extricate ourselves from the political quagmire we find ourselves stuck in," he said.