Earlier attempts at unity between Zanu and Zapu ...

FORERUNNERS of the December 22/1987 Unity Accord include the Joint Military Command (JMC) being the first unity effort between Zapu and Zanu since the split of August 1963.

The attempts to unite Zapu and Zanu PF began in 1972, with the formation of Joint Military Command (Council), which was led from the Zapu side by Jason Moyo and others.

The JMC did not succeed, but attempts to unite Zapu and Zanu PF continued. Discussion between Zapu and Zanu PF leaders, including those Zanu PF who were held in Zambian prisons following Herbert Chitepo’s assassination, led to the agreement to form the Zimbabwean People’s Army (Zipa)

There was pressure to arrive at some agreement in order to offset the “third force” idea that was being contemplated by both Nyerere and Machel to liberate Zimbabwe.

From the Zapu side, the discussions were attended by Jason Moyo, Dumiso Dabengwa, Nikita Mangena, Charlies Sotsha Ngwenya (John Dube), Jevan Maseko, and from the Zanu PF, Simon Muzenda, Dzino Machingura, David Todhlana and Mudzingwa.

Zipa disintegrated before fulfilling expectations due to contradictions which arose between the Zipra and Zanla commanders.

Despite the collapse of Zipa, Zapu did not give up. It initiated the formation of Zimbabwe Patriotic Front as a common front at international forums, as well as to consolidate the unity of the people of Zimbabwe.

Through the Patriotic Front Zapu hoped to further the effort of uniting Zpra and Zanla into a single army.

In addition, Zapu did not regard the Patriotic Front only as an alliance of Zapu and Zanu PF, but as a framework for building a broad united front for all anti-colonial and democratic forces in Zimbabwe.

On October 30, 1976, Zapu and Zanu formed the Patriotic Front in Maputo Mozambique led by President Robert Mugabe and Dr Joshua Nkomo as xo-leaders of the Patriotic Front.

Soon after the formation of the Patriotic Front, various committees were created to look into all the aspects of the unity leading to the fusion of the two political parties into one.

The various committees came out with a draft constitution, and all other committees including the military committee made recommendations.

In 1979, Zapu and Zanu PF attended the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference as the Patriotic Front.

Despite the failed attempts to unite Zapu and Zanu (PF), the two organisations as separate entities continued to execute the armed struggle for liberation from Zambia and Mozambique.

Therefore, December 22 is celebrated in two forms, as the day when the two parties finally achieved their objective on unity, and for the signing of a peace agreement following disturbances in Matabeleland and part of the Midlands as a result of the Western conspiracy (a subject of its own).

The second effort on unity was the formation of the Zimbabwe Peoples Army (Zipa) in September 1975 in Maputo, Mozambique. Zipa was led by Rogers Mangena and Solomon Mujuru. Then followed by the Patriotic Front of October 1976.

Therefore, December 22, 2013, which saw the commissioning of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport, the unveiling of the statue, and renaming Main Street as Joshua Nkomo by His Excellency President Robert Mugabe, must be seen within the context of the unity between the two political parties and the two leaders.