Faith Ndou
MASVINGO-Zvido Zvevanhu Peoples Party (ZZPP) leader, Godfrey Matadi has called for what he termed a “New Unity” rooted in justice, accountability and grassroots participation.
Matadi said the current national unity being celebrated masks deepening socio economic hardships faced by ordinary Zimbabweans.
In an address to the nation on Unity Day, commemorated on December 22 every year, Matadi said he was speaking not as a president in office but as “a servant of the people” and the voice of a movement born out of citizens’ struggles.
“Unity for what? Unity for whom?” Matadi asked, arguing that national unity should be measured by tangible improvements in people’s lives including access to food, healthcare, income and opportunities for children.
He said while authorities highlight macroeconomic indicators and claims of stability, Zimbabweans continue to grapple with rising prices, low wages and deteriorating public services.
“The stability they claim is a façade, built on your patience and paid for with your struggle,” he told The Midweek Watch.
Matadi said the ZZPP has been engaging government institutions, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and Parliament, calling for dialogue on electoral reforms ahead of the 2028 harmonised elections.
He said the party is demanding zero tolerance to corruption, nepotism and lack of transparency in the management of national resources.
On land reform and agriculture, the opposition leader acknowledged that land ownership has been achieved but argued that farmers particularly smallholders, remain unsupported.
“Yes, the land is ours. But where are the comprehensive support systems, fair access to inputs and protection from predatory markets?” he said, adding that the ZZPP advocates for subsidies, irrigation development and direct market access to ensure food sovereignty.
Matadi also criticised the state of infrastructure and social services, pointing to poor road networks, under-resourced clinics and dilapidated schools. He said the party’s role has been to demand accountability for public funds through parliamentary oversight and community mobilisation.
Positioning the ZZPP as the voice of marginalised groups, Matadi said the party continues to amplify the concerns of underpaid teachers and nurses as well as unemployed graduates.
“When students graduate into a void of unemployment, we present plans for industrial revival and youth entrepreneurship that the ruling elite ignores,” he said.
He said the party’s vision of unity goes beyond symbolic celebrations, focusing instead on uniting workers, traders, farmers, students and activists across political and ethnic divides around the goal of building a “New Zimbabwe”.
Matadi said the ZZPP has developed a People’s Charter for a New Zimbabwe which he described as a credible policy blueprint on governance, economic transformation and social justice.
He concluded by urging Zimbabweans to remain hopeful and organised saying change is inevitable when citizens assert their voice and vote.
“The People’s Will is inevitable,” Matadi said.
