ANC youth league visit to Zimbabwe is morally and politically wrong.

But in choosing to visit Zimbabwe to give the so called indigenization some international flavor, and by extension, legitimacy, when Zimbabweans themselves are still to agree on the merits of the same process is not only unfortunate but an outright insult on ordinary Zimbabweans.

The intended visit, sugar-coated as a solidarity campaign between sister revolutionary parties, is nothing but a ploy by ZANU (PF) to court some international relevance they desperately crave for. For the record, and for the benefit of the youths of South Africa, the ANC and indeed its armed wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was neither a sister nor a brother organization of ZANU (PF). No amount of politicking can change that fact. On the contrary, the ZIPRA/MK alliance was subjected to unprecedented vilification by those who today claim friendship with the ANC. ZANU (PF) accused the alliance between ZAPU and the ANC as the reason why the apartheid government was carrying out raids on Zimbabwean soil during the liberation struggle.

Despite all this vilification and the attendant consequences, the ZIPRA and MK alliance remained unshakeable and intact up to this day. What is beyond comprehension is that when over 20,000 members of ZAPU were massacred during the 1980 disturbances, the same people who either did nothing about these atrocities, or participated directly or indirectly, today have a nerve to invite the same comrades we shared not only Smiths bullets, but graves dotted across Zimbabwe today. Where is the pride and honour of the sons of MK when they are only honoured with a visit to an Avondale ANC house and a privileged tour of the Zimbabwe National Heroes Acre when they could have been afforded true honour by visiting the graves of their fallen heroes in areas like Sipolilo? The answer is simply because no one in ZANU (PF) can identify one grave of a fallen MK cadre.

Equally outrageous is the fact that the ANC, as the only shining example of democracy in Africa, allows their youths to wine and dine with a Zimbabwean youth whose members stand accused of heinous crimes against innocent people during elections. The visit, punctuated with measured outbursts of indigenization as one agenda item, gives one an indication that ZANU (PF) is on a campaign trail to fast track the acceptance of their controversial Bill in the minds of ordinary Zimbabweans. Where in the world have you heard that a 30 year old sovereign country seeks public support of another countrys youths whose country is just 16 years old, for a Bill that was passed by a competent parliament? What does that tell of Zimbabwean youths? If ZANU (PF) has the support of the ANC, why dont they invite President Zuma himself to bring his Mshini to support these indigenization paratroopers? And why seek for solidarity and support from a party, and indeed a governing one, which is directly involved as a mediator in the never ending power sharing talks? Is this not akin to asking for a referee to openly display his partisanship during a tense game? One gets a feeling that this could be a checkmate in a chess game between the partners of the GNU. Word of advice, not all Zimbabweans are fools!

While ZAPU fully supports and appreciates the message of indigenization, past experiences have taught us never to trust this particular messenger, for he is not renowned for his implementation skills but for his spectacularly destructive ones. We are also surprised that this law is being fast tracked into implementation when a new constitution is being crafted and elections are due in less than twelve months. Why not wait and implement it when one gets a new and clear mandate to govern (assuming that most voters are supportive of this Bill, electoral victory will be certain). Is it not that someone somewhere is scared that the forthcoming elections can go either way, so they would rather make hay while the sun shines?

As ZAPU, it is no secret that we know ZANU (PF), so we want to advice the ANC youths that they will shake hands with their hosts at a risk of loosing a finger or two. But if they come to Zimbabwe at the invitation of the inclusive government, ZAPU stands ready to take them to the graves of their fallen heroes before visiting our own Heroes Acre. If they come at the pleasure of ZANU (PF), they would have made one big step in rewriting the history of the ANC, and that of Zimbabwe.

In that regard, Malemas visit shall be viewed as nothing but grandstanding by a regime so devoid of values that they are willing to drag the good name of the ANC into a filthy sewage of raw deceit, plunder and corruption through some ignorant and arrogant elements in the ANC who understand nothing about the history of the ANC and the struggle for liberation of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Thank You

Mso Ndlovu

ZAPU Secretary for Administration

(Northern Region)