THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zapu has claimed Zimbabwe would not be facing the grinding socio-economic crisis had the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo lived longer, arguing he had a growth and rebuilding agenda for the country.

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

The late Dr Joshua Nkomo

In a statement to commemorate the late Father Zimbabwe, Zapu spokesperson, Iphithule Maphosa said Nkomo would have stepped down way back, and urged President Robert Mugabe to hand over the baton to his juniors.

Nkomo and definitely Zapu, had no intention of hanging onto power at the expense of the people of Zimbabwe, as we witness under Mugabe and Zanu PF.

Theirs was a rebuilding and growth agenda for a country, which, ironically after 37 years of majority rule, does not know a nation since falling into the hands of Zanu PF, whose only agenda was gaining and retaining political power, he said.

Mugabe has not indicated when he will step down and the ruling party has nominated him to be the partys presidential candidate for the 2018 general elections. He will be 94, and will be the worlds oldest presidential candidate.

Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo was unreachable for comment. The ruling Zanu PF has on several occasions blamed sanctions for the countrys economic woes.

Maphosa argued Zimbabwe would be better off had the late Father Zimbabwe lived longer, saying Nkomo was, for example, not going to tolerate corruption that is blamed for the collapse of several State-owned entities.

Had he lived a little longer, Zimbabwe would not be in this mess for we are cocksure he was never going to allow Mugabe, whom he mentored, to become the demi-god he is today. He would not have allowed the cluelessness about economic management and lack of accountability to continue unabated as it has happened since the time of death to this day.

Economic mismanagement and maladministration, refusal to account, corruption, tribalism and nepotism shot through the roof as patronage took root of our governmental affairs soon after Nkomo departed, a development he would have never allowed in a country he fought for all his life, he said.

The late Vice-President, who was born on June 7, 1917, died on July 1, 1999 at the age of 82, and would have turned 100 this year.

The Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement, a trust established to promote and advance Nkomos legacy, last month held low-key centenary celebrations in Kezi, Matabeleland South, to celebrate the late VPs life.

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Nkomo could have saved Zim: Zapu - NewsDay