United Movement for Devolution Statement on the need for political collaboration in the region
29 April, 2019
The United Movement for Devolution (UMD) is a social democratic movement which is grounded in the principles and values of Devolution and Provincialism. UMD in its policy articulation advocates for strong provincial governments and participatory institutions and communities in the governance of the country.
Our main focus as UMD is to correct the past prejudices done against the Matabeleland region and its people. We speak of underdevelopment, marginalization, inequality and injustice perpetrated against our people by the heartless ZANU pf regime. It is in this regard that we express our belief in political collaboration with other like minded political players in the region. Our thrust as we grapple with these man made challenges is to work for the greater good of the people in order to preserve their dignity and achieve economic prosperity. UMD shall remain open for engagement and cooperation with those that share the same principles and values with us and have devolution at the core of the principles.
Furthermore, our quest for collaboration is informed by the fact that the unity is fundamental to the success and reconstruction program of Matabeleland. We do not believe in monopolizing the Matabeleland agenda. Accordingly, we stand ready to embrace anyone or organization which stands for the emancipation of the downtrodden, marginalized and economically deprived people of the region. However, it is imperative to hasten to say that the UMD reserves the right to remain true and loyal to its core founding principles and values.
The UMD embraces the call by our President Hon.Lovemore Moyo in his statement that called upon the people of Matabeleland to find each other and work together in order to achieve total freedom, equality and justice for the victims and ordinary people. We further applaud him for the bold call for us to forget that which divides us,and instead focus on what brings the people of Matabeleland together.
In this regard, the UMD has total confidence and trust in the leadership of Hon. Lovemore Moyo. His track record of putting the Matabeleland agenda on the national platform is unquestionable. His political history dates back to his participation in the war of liberation as a ZIPRA cadre in the 1970s. He is a founding member of Imbovane Yamahlabezulu. During his days at Imbovane Yamahlabezulu they organized the first public meeting that discussed about the Gukurahundi genocide which invited the late Vice President Joseph Msika and the late Enos Nkala at the Large City Hall in the 1990s to account for the atrocities of the 1980s.
Further,Lovemore Moyo went on to become a founding member of the Forum Party of Zimbabwe (FPZ). He became instrumental in the adoption of Devolution of Power as one of FPZ core policies and advocated for the inclusion of devolution in the Zimbabwean politics. He is also a founding member of the MDC and rose through the ranks to become its National Chairman until his resignation earl last year. He left the MDC upon the realization that the movement had departed and discarded its founding principles and values of non tribalism, non sexism and non violence. He presided over the National Elections Department for over a decade and delivered electoral victories for the MDC. His leadership skills saw him being elected the country’s first opposition Speaker of Parliament.
We are proud of his lasting legacy as the Speaker of Parliament in that he presided over the creation of COPAC that led to the writing of a new constitution of the country and the consummation of the Government of National Unity. His able leadership helped to navigate the raging waters of the constitution making processe. Consequently, the new constitution gave birth to Chapter 14 of the Zimbabwean constitution which provides for devolution of power. Under his leadership, Parliament of Zimbabwe became the only one in Africa to attain the ISO90002 certification which is indeed a milestone in the administration of Parliament. He was subsequently elected Chairperson of the SADC Parliamentary Forum becoming the first Speaker IG Parliament from Zimbabwe to occupy such a prestigious position.
As UMD, in our view,we see Lovemore Moyo as a humble and principled leader,an affable fellow who is firm,forthright and very accessible to everyone and a committed devolutionist. We celebrate his leadership and value his ability to steer the region towards political and economic prosperity.
Devolution is an agenda whose time has come.
Amandla Ebantwini!
Power to the People!
Issued by;
Artwell Sibanda
Publicity and Information Secretary
[email protected]