Zimbabweans from all walks of life celebrate Unity Day on December 22.The Patriot exclusively publishes this report by Cde Herbert Chitepo on March 30 1972. It is significant in that it shows that the ‘unity’ Zimbabweans enjoy today was something the black majority longed for from the days of the liberation struggle.

The Zimbabwe African National Union

LATEST REPORT ON THE ZANU – ZAPU UNITY MOVES
At Benghazi, Libya, the delegations of ZANU and ZAPU to the OAU African Liberation Committee meeting, on January 18 1972, signed a joint declaration of intention; TO ACHIEVE THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE FOR THEIR LIBERATION THROUGH ARMED STRUGGLE
At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, both ZANU and ZAPU presented to the ALC a joint document setting out the basic ideas and method of operation they intended to follow in giving effect to the Benghazi Declaration. The central idea in the Addis Document was that both ZANU and ZAPU would seek to achieve UNITY through joint action in agreed specified fields, while each party retained its separate identity.
At the recent meeting in Mbeya, Tanzania, these ideas were given final shape and form. Both ZANU and ZAPU agreed that the areas of joint action as contemplated in the Addis Document will be in armed struggle. They therefore created a Joint Military Command (JMC), which will be charged with the responsibility of planning and conducting armed struggle aspects of the two parties in all respects.
The joint military command created at Mbeya consists mainly of military trained men from both ZANU and ZAPU, but the chairman and deputy chairman/secretary on the joint military command will be the political heads of the external missions of ZANU and ZAPU respectively. The meeting selected H.W. Chitepo to be the head or chairman of the JMC and J.Z. Moyo to be the deputy chairman/secretary. In the tradition of ZANU in such matters, SECURITY considerations dictate that the departments of the JMC and the names of the personnel manning them shall remain a secret, as well as their activities.
It is important, however, that we should know that the party organs of our party ZANU, the Dare, the Military Council, and the provinces and districts and branches as well as the High Command and the Chimurenga General Council remain intact and functional as before, under the Mbeya Agreement anything that had been starved by either parties prior to the agreement, as indeed all policy and political matters will remain in the hands and control of the party. Joint action in armed struggle will begin after all necessary steps have been taken to achieve complete harmony among the personnel and methods of work in that field.
The step taken at Mbeya was of great significance. It is the first major step towards true, genuine and lasting UNITY among Zimbabweans. Unity forged in blood and death in common battle against a common enemy endures forever, it is stronger than any forces of division or diversion. That is what we aimed to create at Mbeya.
There are naturally many con- sequences that follow from this step. The first is that a new page has opened in the ZANU – ZAPU relations. Gone are the days of rivalry and animosity between the two parties. We have become partners in a joint struggle, citizens fighting for the freedom of the common fatherland. From the military men, who will work together in the JMC come from both ZANU and ZAPU. Their unity in the JMC is really the unity of ZANU and ZAPU; indeed, it is the beginning of the unity of the people of Zimbabwe.
The events out here leading to the Mbeya Agreement were of course closely related to events at home in Zimbabwe, where former ZANU and ZAPU men and women united to work together in the ANC. They were not as some enemies and detractors of Zimbabwe unity and liberation struggle have said, forced on ZANU and ZAPU by the OAU or anyone else. Nor is it true that the coming of the existence of Frolizi acted as a catalyst in the development of unity, quite the contrary, Frolizi was an attempt by certain ambitious individuals to hi-jack the unity developments for their own ends.
The hope of Zimbabwe created at Mbeya last week, will be the target of attack by all enemies of Zimbabwe. Those who tried to hi-jack the revolution and failed are not likely to allow these moves to succeed. They will try to discredit it and its leaders and also to split the people. Tribal- ism no doubt will be other wolves in sheep’s skins, who will endeavour to demoralise you and raise identify them when you see them. Finally, the settlers in our country will step up, not only their defense and security, but also their efforts to create splits and more splits among us. They will do everything to undermine our efforts to achieve unity and effectiveness.
ZANU members have nothing to fear. No principle, no policy, no practice of the party will be abandoned. Indeed we hope to imprint on all aspects of the unity into which we are entering ZANU ideals, principles, policies and practices. Our task is, as ZANU in the following months to strengthen our organisation in all its organs, in order to ensure that in the total Zimbabwe revolution our principles, policies and practices and adopted by all, not for narrow reasons, but in the wider and deeper interest of the future Zimbabwe we hope to create.
Let the Mbeya decisions be a major landmark in the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe. Let them remain for all time a beacon for there we lit a small flame, which will grow and engulf our enemies and bring the light of freedom to our country.
Lastly, please note that the JMC arrangements will be up for review twelve months hence by a joint representative meeting of ZANU and ZAPU.
H.W. Chitepo (Chairman)