The Zimbabwe Liberators Platform (ZLP) is an organisation comprised of ‘genuine’ veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation war of the 1970s and 80s. It was formed in the year 2000 after observing that the government of Zimbabwe under Zanu PF (brought to power after winning the war) had abandoned the liberation ideals of the struggle, such as serving the people and providing them with opportunities for freedom, jobs, human rights and peace. The organisation also felt that the government was abusing ex-fighters by mobilising them to engage in unconstitutional and illegal activities such as seizing commercial farms and harassing and abusing citizens, especially at election times, to help them stay in power.
Some of the objectives of the ZLP are:
- To rehabilitate war veterans and war collaborators so that they cease to be a burden on society, which makes them vulnerable to manipulation by unscrupulous politicians
- To promote democratic values and respect of the rule of law
- To collaborate and engage in dialogue with civic organisations, trade associations, the business community and other interest groups in order to promote harmony, stability and development
- To fight bad governance and corruption, and correct the uneven political landscape in the country by promoting political tolerance among Zimbabweans
Their values are centred on the ideals of the liberation struggle, which are:
- Democratic rights of people, both as individuals and collectively
i. One man one vote
ii. Freedom of association
iii. Freedom of assembly
iv. Freedom of speech - Abhorrence of any form of discrimination based on colour, sex, ethnic origin, religion or belief.
- Equality before the law
- Fair, equitable and transparent land re-distribution
