Tracing My Role/Footprints Within The National Trade Union: The ZCTU: The MDC Past, Present & The Future
Blessing Tivafire Chebundo|MDC Congresses are not merely for positions: they are an opportunity to strengthening the party: structure rejuvenation: Leadership renewal: policy reviewing/reformulation: revamping of democratic processes…
Building the Future…..Basing on the Past & Present!
I am proud to have been there from the beginning: the Present: and with God’s grace, the ongoing future……….
We Ought To Reflect, And Share On The Past: Fusing It With The Present: And Continuously Looking Into Making The Future MDC…Better, Stronger & Lasting……! As Julius Caesar wrote: “I came, I saw, I conquered”…
I always find it very encouraged to want to continue with the struggle, having been there in the labour trenches from as early as soon after the independence and FROM THE PIONEERING STAGE of the labour birthed party….as I witnessed and partook through and through at the conceiving process of the party, I was the national Chairperson of Admin & Finance at Saint Andrews House, Zimbabwe Chemical Plastics, and Allied Workers Union (ZCPAWU), an affiliate of the ZCTU…. my spacious office on 2ndfloor, side to the Secretary General’s office, was the regular venue for the +12 member MDC pioneers, my big brothers and sisters, for their private strategic planning. It was so nourishing and politically enriching:…Amongst them from labour and civic society were:- Morgen Tsvangirai; Gibson Sibanda; Remus Makuwaza; Isaac Matongo; Gift Chimanikire, Thomas Mudzengerere aka Rick Flair: James Makore; Sekai Holland; Trude Stevenson; just to mention half the team…………and as the runners: orderlies: logistics: myself with ‘Tachiona Tich Baba va Fay Chiminya (ZCPAWU Organizer)’, and others such as Solomon ‘aka’ Sox Chikowore, the two Georges Govo and Santana, and the office ladies….and often in and out were the pioneer team’s technical facilitators amongst them baba Timothy Kondo, and others ……….. (My heart however, continue to bleed…as latter on, just 4 days after I granted and penned sabbatical leave for baba va Fay to ‘Aid MRT in his campaigns’, he had his last breathe on 9 March 2000 at Murambinda growth point due to gruesome murder when petrol bombed inside his vehicle). And as fate had it, exactly a month later in KK on 9 April 2000, I missed death by a whisker after being doused with 20 litre petrol but the intended match box got soaked and could not lit. A week later on the 15 April, my 10 roomed suburban house in Newtown KK was ‘petrol roasted’ by +50 marauding machetes wielding militia while I was inside, and only to walk out unscratched the ‘Biblical Meshach, Shadreck, Abednego’ way. Thus with God’s grace, I lived to share and strengthen the struggle with these experiences.
Yes, I have seen it all: I walked it: Lived it: Suffered some of the unprecedented persecutions, violence, arrests and torture……..But still with God given courage and endurance, lives to see it through to achievements of objectives for which it was all started more than two decades ago.
Summary of my Trade Union & Main Front Political History:
1.Turning Point:-
v Joined Sable Chemical Industries, Kwekwe in 1980 armed with a diploma in Environmental Health (Tech)….as a Trainee Occupational Health, Safety, and Loss Control Practitioner..ending up as Loss Control Officer by the time I was elected to parliament 2000
v Founding Kwekwe Midlands Branch Secretary of Chemical Workers Union, 1985, latter on strengthened: “Zimbabwe Chemical, Plastics and Allied Workers’ Union’ [ZCPAWU] and served that office till 1990
v On the mother body ZCTU,: I served from three fronts:
a. By nature of my job at Sable Chemical; I found myself working in Health and Safety Team led by Nathan Banda in the ZCPAWU, and in the Rene Loewenson led National Health and Safety Team at ZCTU level….Training the Trainers, and Material development.
b. Had an opportunity to serve on the paralegal front (with paralegal training) under the ZCPAWU……as its Midlands North Branch Admin
c. On the ZCTU Regional mainframe, was elected, and served in the Central Region (Midlands) Executive ‘1991 – 1995’, further elected to serve as Regional Deputy Chair (with the late Bethel Makwembere as chair) from 1995 to 2000 when we were then both elected to Parliament on ‘the ticket of ZCTU’s child, MDC’
v On the National Union ‘ZCPAWU’ political structure, from 1990 to 2000, I served as National Executive member: as National Treasurer, and Chairman of both the Finance and Admin Committee, and as the position was second to apex, will act as President from time to time.
v During this period stretching three decades to date, I had the opportunity to venture into self initiated, as well as work related and sponsored block-release studies, both local and abroad (At the National Institute of Working Life, Sweden: Free University of Brussels, Belgium: MSU Zimbabwe…and majored in Labour studies; Policy development (with bias in Health) : Industrial Ergonomics, and Local Governance ….courtesy of both ZCPAWU/ZCTU and Sable Chemical Industries……. These programs enriched, and benefited the struggle……Am indebted and grateful to all these institutions.
2. As the ZCTU Vice Chairperson of the Central Region (Midlands 1995-2000), I was tasked with taking charge of the Labour based/backed progammes in the Northern hemisphere of the Midlands (Admin districts of Kwekwe, 2 Gokwes, Kadoma)….while Chair Makwembere oversaw the Southern hemisphere.
Spearheaded Programmes such as:-
· Cadreship development programmes
· ZCTU led Industrial actions of the 1997s (tested my first arrest)
· Mobilization towards National Working People’s Convention 1998
· Mobilization for the formation of National Constitutional Assembly 1998
· NCA inaugural assembly; University of Zimbabwe, 1998.
· Mobilization for the Constitutional Referendum 2000
Many other programmes
3. Thus when MDC was formed in 1999, I was elected the Chairman for Midlands North Province on May 25th 1999…..though in absentia completing my Sweden programmes that were to end June 1999….I spearheaded the formation of the structures in the province, with a provincial team, amongst the members: Isaac Mzimba: Same Mzembi: Sylvester Majekuza: Willard Somerayi (youth Chair): Abraham Mtshena: Jesca Bheka (Chairlady): Rose Muchero: Lawrence Kondowe: Erick Rukavhairo (Sec Intl): Evans Ruzvidzo and many others……
4. At the MDC national inaugural Congress 2000, I was elected Nat Executive member-and later (2001) Secretary & Spokesperson For Health ‘2001-2006’. Am credited for penning the party’s Health & HIV/AIDS Policy that onwards serve as foundation: Latter, and subsequently was to be entrusted with Nat Secretary Local Gorvenment: Transport: Nat Healing, Peace, Reconciliation, Integration…….
5. Was elected MDC Parliamentarian (2000-2013). Founding Chair of Africa wide Parliamentary Health Networks (2004 – to current 2019). While the Kwekwe 2000 results were MDC most celebrated, it was like ‘going to Hell first, and come back with a Bang’. …..the level of violence; persecutions; arrests; arsons; murders……and as the Late MDC founding father MRT remarked during the tour of the destructions on 3rd August 2000, in Kwekwe soon after he officiated at the gathering to recognize the win, I quote….’ When the perpetrators of such intense of violence die, even Lucifer would not claim parenthood of them’ …close quote!
6. My major areas at the parliamentary front were on: Health and HIV/AIDS: On Transport and Infrastructure Development: On Anti-Corruption Advocacy. And facilitation for Citizens participation in parliamentary processes. I would then make it easy for the relevant CSO and Professional institutions to engage parliament and partake in national issuesand as provided by parliamentary reforms. Facilitated the likes of ZCTU Health and Safety department to obtain an MOU with parliament.
7. The international front, as chairman of Africa wide Parliamentary Networks on Health saw me sharing annual platforms with prominent people like Secretary Hillary Clinton: former Presd. B. Mkapa of Tanzania: Directors of AU and WHO Social services on social issues.
8.As a diploma graduant in Theological Studies, when the MDC Networks, and networking programme was ushered in 2017 I was tasked with Coordinating the Church Networks for peace bringing the democratic minded clergy together at national and downstream levels. Bearing in mind that the MDC is a ‘GOD FEARING PARTY, with a GOD FEARING PASTOR PRESIDENT (The Fear of the Lord is the beginning Of Wisdom Prov 1:7—- Putting Jesus First in everything the party undertakes…. Psalms 127:1)
9. Membership : Served: and Serving:
·‘WHO’ Commission on Social Determinants of Health ‘Health Systems Knowledge Networks’, 2006 – 2009.
·‘International Commission for Occupational Health’ [ICOH] 22 years
· International 5Occupational Safety, Health and Administration’ [OSHA]
· Coalition of African Parliamentarians against HIV and AIDS 2003-2013
· Founding and Current chairman Network of Africa Wide Parliamentary Committees on Health’ [NEAPACOH]
· African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption 2005-2013
· Zimbabwe Parliamentarians Against HIV and AIDS {ZIPAH}
·Trustee (2004) & board member; Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa
So, it real matters talking about Foundation: For, whether as an individual, or an institution, you cannot be ANYWHERE without coming from SOMEWHERE! The past DEFINES THE PRESENT, while the present is the TRAJECTORY of the FUTURE: The party would be as strong as is desired when we apply an ‘INTERGENERATIONAL FUSION APPROACH’……the individual cadres; and structures working like the mortar and bricks of a strong umbwogabel (Kiswahil for unbreakable) MDC. When you have seen it all: You always feel duty bound to guard against erosion of the founding values: you guard against the life investment you made: you guard against invasion of the people’s project.
I wish to bring the much needed Experience: Maturity: Institutional Memory & Political Professionalism into Top MDC part Leadership….
BC/bc April 2019
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+263 773 014 516
