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| The late Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Joshua Nkomo. |
Born on June 17,1918 to black missionary teachers in the Semokwe reserve of south west Matebeleland, Joshua Nkomo earned himself respect from all his country man and respectable names like Chibwechitedza, Father Zimbabwe and Umdala Wethu to mention but a few. Nkomo was a hero as we saw the establishment and unveiling of his statue and the refurbishment of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo on the 22nd of December 2013. The 22nd of December is a Unity Day that marked the end of the Gukurahundi massacres. The Bulawayo main street was also renamed after the late Vice President as symbolising the "real story of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans, our struggles and our aspirations as a people."
Dr. Nkomo studied in South Africa where he met some of the influencial leaders of the ANC (African National Congress) whose ideas influenced and shaped his political career. It was during this time when he met Nelson Mandela and other regional leaders. Upon his return to Bulawayo, Nkomo founded a number of small organisations which were banned by the British colonial authorities before founding ZAPU in 1962 which was immediately banned. Frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations with the authorities, subtle indifferences from the international community and the constant banning of liberation movements, Nkomo decided to form a government in-exile as a way of stepping up to international pressure on the colonial regime and effect political change in Southern Rhodesia. His ideas came under heavy criticism from his Secretary General,Robert Mugabe, Julius Nyerere, then President of Tanzania and his once trusted friend, Ndabaningi Sithole, who it seems were now becoming alarmed by his popularity at home and abroad.
A year after ZAPU's formation, the party split on ethnical grounds with Robert Mugabe breaking away with the Shona majority and leaving ZAPU as the mostly Ndebele organisation. It is this breakaway from the ZAPU that has caused harm in Zimbabwean as a nation. It is this separation on ethnic grounds that caused the notorious Gukurahundi massacre of 1986 and up to present day, the two ethical groups have not seen eye to eye. The ethical issues have since formed a system whereby the Shona people are seen as superior to the Ndebele people. And will there ever be unity between these two ethical groups?. Nkomo gained popularity in those years but despite hi's popularity, he lost the 1980 elections and went on to decline the presidential post offered to him. In 1982, he was appointed cabinet minister and he was accused of plotting a coup, this is where it all began. His documents were seized and he was restricted to his Bulawayo home. He soon sneaked out of his home town via the Botswana boarder into Britain. It is said that after his escape thus when Mugabe unleashed the notorious Korean Fifth Brigade upon Nkomo's Matebelelalnd and some parts of Midlands, which was known as the Gukurahundi. It is alleged that the massacre was to deal with what was known as the dissidents. This army killed an approximated number of 20 000 people.The killings went on until 1987 when Nkomo signed into the Unity Accord which marked the end of these atrocities. Thus Nkomo was reconciled with Mugabe and the two parties merged, leaving Zimbabwe as effectively one party state.
Nkomo throughout his life believed that once the land imbalances was corrected, everyone in Zimbabwe would be uplifted socially and economically. At the unveiling of his statue President Robert Mugabe addressed thousands of people who attended and said, "Dr.Nkomo was a man of the people, who was not a tribalist nor a regionalist. He indeed immersed in unity. The statue and street will allow us to continuously reflect on where we stand as a nation, also to introspect on what we are doing, vis a vie what Dr.Nkomo stood for. We note that an earlier attempt had not satisfied us that the statue was an accurate representation of him, a man of the people, a man that we honour and respect.
Dr. Nkomo was the Vice President of Zimbabwe until his death on July, 1999.
OUR DEPARTED HERO, MAY HIS LEGACY LIVE FOREVER AND HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.
here
is no doubting that Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo is a large political and
historical figure whose name and legacy remains available for use or
abuse by those who remain behind. - See more at:
http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-41168-article-Joshua+Nkomo%3A+Thin+line+between+honour+and+dishonour.html#sthash.xODArd8y.dpuf
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