We certainly hope that you will maintain this standard while at the same time resisting the media polarization affecting some media houses. It is in this regard that ZAPU welcomes your unbiased coverage of our party, its leadership and members. We encourage you to report about us without any fear or favour as we believe that democracy can only thrive in an environment characterized by a vibrant, fearless and free press. ZAPU went to war in order to protect and promote a free press. That is why we condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent attack on journalists by ZANU (PF) thugs at Parliament building while conducting their normal duties. These thugs are continuing to discredit the name and character of freedom fighters by doing exactly what we went to war to eliminate in our society. Instead of reducing our scribes to punching bags, they are better advised to use their energy by preparing the epitaph of their dying, if not dead, party.
We would like, however, to put the record straight regarding a story on your 25th July edition about a “split” in ZAPU. Our party, led by a humble but fiery former ZIPRA Commander and intelligence supremo, Dr. Dumiso Dabengwa is one bid united family. We are united behind our leadership elected at a full and well attended national congress held in Bulawayo in August 2010. The purported split is simply a choreographed side-show by one disgruntled member who was suspended from the party and currently awaiting disciplinary proceedings against him. Comrade Canciwell Nziramasanga is still bitter that he lost his position at congress and has no qualms exposing his ignorance of the ZAPU Constitution and protocols. To begin with,Comrade Nziramasanga is well aware of the impending consequences of his unconstitutional activities and has decided to pre-empt them by staging a mickey mouse side show in the media to cause confusion among party members.
While we acknowledge that ZAPU is such an irresistible brand that even cultural groups, pressure groups and sports clubs have in one time or another associated with or named themselves after ZAPU, sometimes with surnames and titles attached to it, we would like the whole world to know that the real ZAPU is back by popular demand. Recent utterances by Comrade Nziramasanga will not distract us from ensuring that we deliver our pledge to Zimbabweans of a devolved united country that respects, protects and promotes human rights. Comrade Nziramasanga has no capacity, in all its forms, to cause a split in ZAPU. It is ridiculous for him to accuse our leaders of violating the constitution when he is guity of violating the same sacred document by convening a kangaroo gathering without authority. He goes on to claim that “Honourable Cyril Ndebele was appointed President of ZAPU and Mr. Nziramasanga was appointed Vice President and Vice Chairman of the party”. This goes to expose two things, firstly, this fellow is not aware that it is against the constitution of ZAPU for anyone to occupy a leadership position by appointment. People are elected into those positions and are even barred from nominating themselves. Secondly, Comrade Nziramasanga seems to be content with being a Vice President to someone else as if he has patented that position, exposing his acute lack of ambition or capacity or both.
He is so power hungry to an extent that he often dreams himself as Vice President of ZAPU and wakes up clutching some “Hurungwe Declaration”. Comrade Nziramasanga needs urgent help as he has become a grave danger to himself and those who take him serious. How else can anyone explain that a grown up person sees nothing wrong with claiming that he is the son of the late hero and nationalist, Comrade Mark Nziramasanga when he is not. Even if Comrade Mark Nziramasanga was related to Comrade Canciwell Nziramasanga it does not give Canciwell the right to trample on our constitution willy nilly. ZAPU is not a dynasty where kinsmen claim leadership positions on the strength of their genetics or biological affiliation. While it is an open secret that Comrade Canciwell is a bundle of confusion, he is well advised to avoid being generous with his confusion.
Mso Ndlovu
Northern region Director of Information, Publicity and Marketing
