Joseph Msika
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| The Hon. Joseph Msika MP | |
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Vice President of Zimbabwe
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 23 December 1999 |
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| President | Robert Mugabe |
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| Born | 6 December 1923 Southern Rhodesia |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Political party |  ZANU-PF |
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Joseph Msika (born on December 6, 1923) has served as Vice President of Zimbabwe since 23 December 1999.
He was originally a member of Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union, but now serves under Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front. He was a member of the delegation to the Lancaster House Agreement that forged independence for Zimbabwe.
Police arrested him in 1964 while he was in the home of Josiah Mushore Chinamano.[1]
Msika dismissed Mugabe's past apology for the 1987 Gukurahundi killings, condemned internationally for the violence it unleashed on mainly rural Ndebele, at a rally in October 2006 in Bulawayo. "When we asked him about the massacres he apologized, but I was not convinced about his sincerity," he said.[2]
On 5 March 2005 Msika was taken into hospital after collapsing at home, apparently having suffered a stroke and a blood clot in his head.[3] He did not run in the March 2005 parliamentary election, but Mugabe appointed him to one of the thirty unelected parliamentary seats.[4]
[edit] ZAPU
At the October 2006 rally, Msika accused the ZANU-PF of "lying" to the world about being the pioneers in the liberation struggle. "The true history of the liberation struggle should be told. I feel I have a duty to correct this blatant lie... The struggle to liberate Zimbabwe started in Bulawayo at Stanley Hall, when we formed the African Youth Congress."[2]
"At one of the meetings of the youth congress which I chaired, we decided to invite people from Mashonaland to join us in the struggle. If there is anyone who doubts this, they should come forward and challenge me one-on-one," he said.
Msika said four people were approached, namely Enoch Dumbutshena, Stanlake Samkange, Joshua Nkomo and Mwanaka.
"Samkange insulted us, saying he could not work with unschooled people. Dumbutshena also insulted us saying we were unemployable and violent people against the whites. Mwanaka never responded. But Nkomo said what we were planning to do, the road that we would walk, would be a thorny one and said if we were prepared to face it he would join us, which he did," said Msika.
He said it was then that the late nationalist, Joshua Nkomo, became the leader of the struggle.
[edit] References
- ^ Robert Cary and Diana Mitchell. African Nationalist Leaders in Rhodesia Who's who, 1977. Page 180.
- ^ a b "ZIMBABWE: Old wounds inflame political tensions", IRIN, October 19, 2006.
- ^ Msika reportedly suffers stroke newzimbabwe.com
- ^ "MP's sworn in, new ministers appointed", SADOCC, April 16, 2005.
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