Ezekiel Hleza

What’s in a name? This question, which has been echoed over centuries in English literature and in social settings by the country’s late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo to his negotiating team from Zapu, who were engaged with a team from Zanu in the Unity talks.

Finally, when the unity agreement was signed between the two parties, Dr Nkomo urged those who may have not been happy about the deal to look at the spirit behind the unity agreement.

The period that preceded the 22 December 1987 Unity agreement signed by the now late former President Robert Mugabe and Dr Nkomo, was marked by a lot of uncertainty, especially for communities in the Matabeleland region and parts of the Midlands.

The future for these regions looked very bleak and that affected the whole nation as a whole. In the midst of this gloom, the country had before managed a miracle by successfully uniting three beligerant armies, ZPRA, Zanla, and the former Rhodesian forces to form the Zimbabwe National Army, the Airforce of Zimbabwe and other security services. There were challenges though but on the whole, the integration of the forces had been successful.

The Unity Accord signed by Cde Mugabe and Dr Nkomo managed to address the issue of security exclusion, fear and opened opportunities for national cohesion. The old song in the Ndebele communities

‘Kudala kwakungenje
Umhlaba uyaphenduka
Kwakubusu’Mambo loMzilikazi,’

is a testament to the existence of unity in the country before that is between King Mambo and King Mzilikazi.
In the 1896-1897 resistance against colonialism there was unity between the Shona and the Ndebele when Mukwati Ncube — a Ndebele chief, co-ordinated with the chiefs in Mashonaland and in Matabeleland in fighting the colonial settlers.

In 1957, the Salisbury City Youth league led by James Chikerema and George Nyandoro came together with the old ANC led by Joshua Nkomo to form the Southern African National Congress thus paving the way for the launch of the nationalist movement that culminated in the launching of the armed struggle by Zapu and Zanu.

As the armed struggle progressed, Zapu and Zanu formed the Joint Military Command in 1972, which later developed into the Zimbabwe People’s Army (Zipa) and later the Patriotic Front with Zapu and Zanu becoming the components of the Patriotic Front (PF) with Cdes Nkomo and Mugabe becoming co-leaders.

This arrangement, which started in the participation in the Geneva talks of 1976 — developed into a strong political alliance, with the two parties negotiating together at Lancaster House leading to independence on the 18th of April 1980, which also formed the basis of the formation of the defence force from Zanla, ZPRA and the Rhodesian forces.

As the country marks 38 years since the signing of the Unity Accord, it is important to take cognisance of the fact that a lot has been happening in the country, especially since the advent of the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa.

The spirit of National Unity in national development has been captured through President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind and his rallying clarion call “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’.

One of the most practical examples of Unity and of leaving no one and no place behind is the commissioning of the Pupu Battle site into a national monument with a modern structure and facilities. On 4 December 1893, King Lobengula’s army under General Mtshana Khumalo wiped out a patrol unit under Allan Wilson — whose mission was to capture Lobengula.

Another mark of the national unity is Lake Gwayi-Shangani, a project mooted in 1912, whose pace over the years was very slow but since the advent of the Second Republic, the space has picked up, much to the satisfaction of the country’s population. Soon, the project would be completed thus creating a green belt from the water body to Bulawayo.

On 18 April 2026 — the National Independence Day celebrations move to Matobo District’s Maphisa Growth Point, which itself is turning into a metropolis. It should not be lost that Maphisa Funyane, which the fast growing urban settlement is named after was the Chief of Isizinda Regiment in King Lobengula’s army, whose son Mdilizelwa Fuyane fought at the battle of Pupu together with President Mnangagwa’s own grandfather.

Therefore, as we celebrate the signing of the Unity Accord tomorrow, the day marks the triumph of patriotism, pragmatism, vision over parochialism and the triumph of statesmanship by our leaders.