The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda
Ever since that glorious day in 1987 when the former President, Cde Robert Mugabe and the former Vice-President, Dr Joshua Nkomo exchanged that historic handshake, Zimbabwe has been commemorating Unity Day on the 22 nd of December every year.
On that day, ZAPU and ZANU became one.
These two revolutionary political parties took part in Zimbabwe’s liberation war against white supremacists in Rhodesia.
Upon Independence, the two once again came together to build the national unity we enjoy today.
A country’s quality of life is qualified by the social relations among the various individuals who have their roots in the country.
However, boundaries are a colonial creation. Mozambique has Ndaus, Manyikas, Korekores and other members of diverse ethnic groups that are also found in Zimbabwe.
Therefore, despite the boarders, we are one people.
Those preaching hatred along ethnic lines ululate when we are at each other’s throats with threats of civil war hanging over the country.
Their hearts sing melodious songs as nationals look at themselves from the narrow perspectives of bigotry and self-centredness.
But with the advent of the New Dispensation, national integration is key to the economic, social and political renaissance of this great country.
First, food security is slowly becoming synonymous with Zimbabwe. Soon and very soon,
Zimbabwe will become the bread basket of Africa again.
The Second Republic has managed to drive hunger away from our communities through the Government-sponsored Pfumvudza initiative which has proved to be a game changer for many.
The programme has cascaded to all the rural provinces with yields growing by leaps and bounds. They say, a hungry man is an angry man.
As the yields treble, unity is strengthened and there won’t be any need to dwell on the few things that separate us.
Rather, we will focus on the many issues that make us stick together.
More things unite us than those that divide us. Provision of decent shelter is another way of fostering unity among Zimbabweans.
This is a basic need.
In the cities, there are glaring lists of people who need accommodation.
Government has been working round the clock to avail opportunities that will allow people to get decent homes.
This is being done through capacitating banks, especially building societies, to allow the ordinary citizenry to have access to housing. Shelter is a basic need.
Funding is also being channelled towards infrastructural development.
This also creates employment and empowerment.
Empire builders such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar maintained the lifestyles of their people in an attempt to make them happy.
Strengthening of national unity through national integration is not a new phenomenon.
One way of ensuring that people remain divided is the continuous denigration of their culture.
To illustrate this, there are people who believe that another indigenous language is inherently inferior to theirs.
Every language is equally important.
Tolerance on the issue of language is key.
Now, there is a deliberate attempt to solve the above problem as teachers’ colleges are training students in the 16 official languages.
Isn’t it a fact that these are noble efforts to make national unity a reality?
Unity has to be part of the conversation in the national debate.
Some people have perpetuated the myth that the Shona and the Ndebele people do not see eye to eye ever since the Mfecane.
Nothing is further from the truth.
The two so-called tribes are Bantus and that is enough to keep the fire of unity burning.
A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and territory.
The above aspects which delineate a nation show clearly that Zimbabwe has people who have shared memories and there is absolutely no need to treat each other like enemies.
Thus, this year’s celebration of Unity Day allowed us to reflect on the positives of national integration as opposed to internecine strife authored by those bent on causing mayhem amongst the indigenes.
Unity is the sine qua non of national development.
