ZANU PF Bulawayo chairperson Callistus Ndlovu yesterday proposed that the government honour the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo by declaring June 19 a public holiday, the date of his birthday instead of July 1 the day he died.
Blondie Ndebele
There have been incessant calls from Nkomo’s son Sibangilizwe and the Matojeni Cultural Society to declare July 1 a national holiday in honour of his father.
The group has further proposed to name the day “Joshua Nkomo and Liberators’ Day”.
But speaking during a Zanu PF-organised Joshua Nkomo Lecture Series at Small City Hall yesterday, Ndlovu said the government should seriously consider June 19 instead of July 1.
“I subscribe to the idea that his birthday should be named a national holiday in this country,” he said.
“We are celebrating his life which was a major contribution to the liberation of this country.
“He is the icon of the liberation struggle. He invested a great deal of hope in the struggle and deserves the respect from everyone.”
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Ndlovu said the commemorations were meant to conscientise people about the role that national leaders played during the liberation struggle, so that they could use the past for the benefit of the future.
However, another Zanu PF candidate for Makokoba constituency, Tshinga Dube, has said setting aside the day would congest the already clogged public holiday calendar.
Meanwhile, Ndlovu said they could not get enough time and funding to put up the Nkomo statue on Main Street, Bulawayo.
He said as the Joshua Nkomo commemorations committee, they had planned to hold a mini-carnival on July 6 to cover Main Street with cultural activities from different backgrounds.
He said they had proposed that Kalanga culture groups would perform where Nkomo’s statue was supposed to be mounted, but their plans had failed because of the logistical problems. The Zanu PF Nkomo lecture series continues tomorrow. Sibangilizwe said the government has ignored letters he wrote requesting that July 1 must be set aside as a holiday to honour his father.
On Monday, Nkomo’s family and the Matojeni Cultural Society held commemorations to mark Nkomo’s death in Bulawayo.
