THE opposition Zapu party has reflected on its turbulent 64-year journey since its formation in 1961, describing decades of persecution that intensified after independence under then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe’s Zanu government.
Speaking on Tuesday about the party’s 64th anniversary, Zapu president Sibangilizwe Nkomo characterised his party’s history as one of resilience and the pursuit of true freedom.
“On this day in 1961, our founding fathers formed this great party, presenting for the first time since colonisation a mainstream political formation using the name Zimbabwe,” Nkomo said.
“Zapu became the mother of nationalism, patriotism and self-determination.
“Yet no local party has been more persecuted and sabotaged.”
Nkomo recounted that the party was banned under colonial rule and faced State-sponsored violence, asset seizure and legal persecution after independence.
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He said its leaders were jailed, assassinated, driven into exile and economically marginalised, while supporters were targeted for their affiliation.
He specifically referenced the period between 1982 and 1987, describing it as a “genocide” against citizens accused of supporting Zapu — a clear allusion to the Gukurahundi disturbances.
“To this day, many survivors endure post-traumatic stress and debilitating fear, while the deceased and disappeared remain unaccounted for,” Nkomo noted.
He criticised current efforts by the Zanu PF government to involve traditional leaders in addressing the issue, calling it a “massive cover-up operation” that has failed.
Nkomo acknowledged the role played by Zapu’s armed wing, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, during the liberation war and lamented that its contributions were systematically erased by post-independence propaganda.
Following the 1980 elections, which brought Mugabe to power, Zapu was quickly sidelined.
Two years later, Mugabe accused its late leader Joshua Nkomo of plotting insurgency and deployed the 5 Brigade to Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, leading to an estimated 20 000 deaths.
Mugabe later termed the period a “moment of madness”.
His successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has since tasked traditional chiefs with leading healing efforts, a process that remains contentious among survivors and victims’ families.