Mugabe accused the old ZAPU of masterminding a military rebellion two years after independence, with the sting operation only ending in 1987 at the formation of a unity government with Zanu (PF).
During the civil unrest, now commonly known as Gukurahundi, the British government failed to condemn Mugabe’s government’s actions, with international political analysts attributing that to the fact that the Tory establishment led by the “Iron Lady” was afraid that intervention might have offset a full-scale war.
“As a powerful (Prime Minister), Thatcher did not do us good when she failed to at least denounce the killing of nearly 20, 000 people from Matabeleland region by the Korean trained Fifth Brigade,” said Zapu national spokesperson, Mjobisa Noko, in an exclusive interview.
“Her kith and kin were living pretty at a time when our people were being butchered. Thatcher facilitated an event where President Robert Mugabe was given the British knighthood,” he added.
Noko said because of his party’s ideology of communism, the Conservatives were not happy about the revival of Zapu.
“You will never hear Mugabe denounce the Conservatives, not even the current British PM, David Cameron, because they facilitated his victory in the 1980 elections at the expense of ZAPU,” he alleged. “Zapu is the mother party from which Zanu broke away and MDC is the grandchild of Zapu. Our party’s founder Joshua Nkomo was forced into the 1987 unity accord, an unequal union in order to stop the post-independence carnage,” he said.
Zanu (PF) and MDC politicians unanimously paid tribute to the late Thatcher’s leadership style. Zanu (PF) sent a message of condolence saying that the Iron-Lady facilitated the Lancaster House constitution and a good relationship with the country in the 1980s.
“We remember her personal warmth to the people of Zimbabwe and her friendship with the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe,” Zanu (PF) Deputy Director of Publicity, Psychology Maziwisa, recently told The Zimbabwean.
On the part of MDC, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai actually went to Britain to pay tribute.
Post published in: News