Joice Mujuru | Fellow Zimbabweans; and countrymen, I am humbled to meet and address you on our historic occasion of celebrating 37 years since we got independence from the colonial rule of Ian Douglas Smith. As National People’ s Party we join the diversity of our country in commemorating this historic day, a day that cuts across political divides, religions, social and economic persuasions, tribes and cultural standings. It is a day that should unite Zimbabweans into one family and its a day that does not belong to a one political party.

As we celebrate 37 years of independence its time to reflect on the revolutionary ideals that the sons and daughters of this country fought for. We have our countrymen who lost life and limb for the liberation cause of our people and as NPP we take this opportunity to also reflect on the tombstone of the unknown soldier. We went to war for one man one vote. As Zimbabweans we were driven to fight the colonial regime by the desire to be treated equally before the eyes of the law. True to that spirit we stood heads, toes and shoulders as equal partners in defeating the oppressive colonial regime of Ian Douglas Smith. It is for the same cause that we lost gallantry sons and daughters of this country whose heroic deeds in liberating our people be it in the first and second Chimurenga remain unparalleled to date.

We equally take this day as an opportune moment to make a peoples audit on whether the government of the day has implemented the revolutionary ideals our people sacrificed their lives for. It is with a heavy heart that our country which was once a bread basket of Southern Africa is now a basket case to the World. All sectors of our country’s economy are plagued with corruption. Rampant police road blocks have turned the country into a police state. Our people live in abject poverty in th midst of vast natural resouces like minerals which are now preserve of the few. A case in point is the looting of mineral revenue amounting to US 15 billion without a trace. That alone demonstrates corruption of th highest order and lack of accountability by ZANU PF government. Unprecedented level of unemployment is now a terminal culture of our country. Disregard of rule of law with impunity is the order of the day. Our country is politically polarised as a result of divisive ZANU PF government which has become an epitome of a failed national leadership.

As NPP we believe that what ought to be 37 years of Independence has been turned into 37 years of slavery and misery to Zimbabweans. We believe we have capacity as Zimbabweans to extricate ourselves out of the social, economic and political mess we find ourselves in as a result of ZANU PF s failed government. It is time that all progressive forces within the rank and file of opposition parties ought to put their differences aside and face the ZANU PF failed government as a united front by every constitutional means necessary come 2018 national elections.

At one point in time of our liberation struggle with Ian Douglas Smith, ZIPRA and ZANLA joined hands to dislodge the colonial regime not withstanding their ideological and political contradictions. What they had to put first was our country and its people. That alone makes an instructive testimony for a case of a grand coalition to constitutionally remove ZANU PF from power.

Our people never went to war so that the destiny of our country can be turned into political dynasties. Zimbabweans deserve to be free and that freedom has to be exercised now. To that end as NPP we urge all the progressive forces within the rank and file of the opposition parties of this country to go back to the basics of the revolutionary ideals of oneness. It is our belief as NPP that what divides us as opposition political parties is smaller than what binds us as a country. Our motto should therefore be ”
United we stand, divided we fall”.

We therefore urge our countrymen that as they celebrate this historic day that is if there is anything to celebrate there should not lose hope and focus that another happy and free Zimbabwe is possible.

May Gob bless you all

I thank you

Doctor Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru (National Peoples Party President)