Uzulu weZimbabwe umanyene ilizwe lonke ukukhumbula impilo kamuyi, uDr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo iqhawe lesizwe owayesaziwa ngokuthi nguFather Zimbabwe, owaba ngumsekeli kamongameli welizwe kusukela ngomnyaka ka 1987 kusiyafika ekutshoneni kwakhe ngomnyaka ka 1999.
UNkomo ngomunye wenkokheli yakuqala abaqoqa umvukela wokulwisana lombuso wabahuquluzi benotho owawuloncindezelo lobandlululo wabamhlophe ilizwe laze lathola uzibuse ekhokhela abansundu kanye lokumanyanisa uzulu langemva kwempi yenkululeko.
Sokuyiminyaka engamatshumi amabili uNkomo wafulathela ngemva kokukhulelwa ngumkhuhlane wemvukuzane mhlaka 1 Ntulikazi 1999.
Ngemva kokukhokhela ibandla le ZAPU kusiyafika uzibuse ngomnyaka ka1980, uMqabuko waqubekela phambili ezinikele ukumanyanisa ilizwe ikakhulu ngesikhathi sombuqhazwe weGukurahundi lapho abasekeli bakhe bahlukunyezwa lokubulawa. Lokhu wakwenza ngokukhulumisana lowayengu mongameli uRobert Mugabe babhalelana isivumelano somanyano eseUnity Accord.
Abasebenza laye abafana lomnumzana Daniel Mc Kenzie Ncube, yena owake wamela iMbizo edale le Phalamende ekubandla le ZANU PF, uthi ukhumbula ukuzinikela okwenziwa nguNkomo ngesikhathi abantu beMatebeleland le Midlands behlukuluzwa ngesikhathi seGukurahundi.
“Mina njengami ngimkhumbula ngokubambanisa amaZimbabweans, wayengela nkethabetshana umdlaa wethu, wayebona umuntu wonke njengomZimbbawean,engakhgangeli ukuthi isibongo sakho ngesakobani. Njalo udala wethu wayengumkhokheli olobuqotho esithi kuma Zimbabweans kasisebenze ngamandla ukuthi sithuthuke. Ngiyakhumbula esithi nxa ufuna imali phendulela ibala elithu mali, litshengise ukuthi lima, sebenzisa umhlabathi.”
Isikhulumeli somkhokheli weMDC, uMnu. Nkululeko Sibanda uthi uNkomo wayemela labo abancindezelweyo.
“Upresident Chamisa uqhakathekisa kakhulu imisebenzi eyenziwa ngubaba uNkomo lalokho ayekumela elizweni, indlela aziphatha ngayo ekudingeni ukuthi nxa kungela kuthula kube lokuthola yikho namhlanje sethule umbiko lo kuZimbabwe sibonga impilo ka baba uNkomo.”
USibanda uqhubeke ethi uNkomo uyisibonelo esihle kwezombusazwe ukuthi ukukhulumisana phakathi kwamabandla akumelanga kuqakathekise izikhundla. Utsho lokhu eqhathanisa lesimo ilizwe elikuso okwamanje lapho inkulumo phakathi kweZANU PF le MDC, okumele zenziwe.
“Udubo esilalo ngolokuthi iZANU ilokhu ilwisa ukuthi ibe yiyo eyenza konke njalo iyenza umathanda isikhathi sonke siyazi ukuthi lokhu akusebenzi kusuka kusibisele njalo endaweni efanayo singakhangela impumela eyaphuma ku Unity Accord kusenziwa yikuthanda kwe ZANU lempumela eyaphuma ku 2008 kusenziwa ngokuthanda kwe ZANU kungazanga kube lokulwisa kakhulu ukuthi inkulumo zingabi ngezezikhundla inkulumo zibe ngezokuncediusa ilizwe.”
Omunye wabatsha uNhlanhla Moyo uncome indlela uMqabuko uthi ilanga lokufa kukaNkomo kumele liphiwe inhlonipho yokuba likhefu elizweni.
“Mina ngibona angani kungaba kuhle nxa Joshua Nkomo bengamnika inhlonipho efana lokuthi ilanga lapho afa khona laziwe ngokuthi yi Joshua Nkomo day, kube likhefu, ibeyi national day njenge Unity Day asilayo, Lokhu kuzenza ukuthi singaze semkhohlwa ngoba ngumuntu owaphila impilo ebuhlungu kakhulu ehlukuluzwa, ebotshwa, konke lokhu esenzela thina ukuthi sibe ngabantu abakhululekileyo eZimbabwe”
UNkomo waphiwa inhlonipho yeqhawe lesizwe wangcwatshwa endaweni ebekwa amaqhawe esizwe eNational Heroes Acres, e Harare.
Uhulumende waqhubeka wamnikeza njalo inhlonipho yokuba izakhiwo, imigwaqo kanye lezikolo ziphiwe ibizo lakhe.
Ngomnyaka ka 2013, uhulumende wabaza isithombe sikaNkomo phakathi kwedolobho leBulawayo njengendlela yokuqakathekisa umsebenzi awenzayo elizweni.
