Harare, December 14, 2009-The Zimbabwean government on Monday appointed the country’s new Vice President at a ceremony held at the State House in Harare.

President Robert Mugabe appointed the co- Minister of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration and Zanu PF former chairperson, John Nkomo as the country’s second vice president in fulfilment of a 1987 Unity Accord signed between Zanu PF and Zapu. 

In his acceptance remarks the new vice President gave a message of peace to Zimbabweans. 

   "I was involved in national healing and call upon all of us to ensure that we heal this nation that we reconcile as a nation and integrate as a nation so the organ on national healing hopefully if I were to request that it remains as a permanent feature in this country,” said Nkomo. 

  "Whatever peace we established should live beyond the inclusive government, it is our responsibility that we ensure that there is peace in this country. At the end of the day we are one and we have one country.” 

Nkomo is a former PF Zapu stalwart led by the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, which united with President Mugabe’s Zanu PF in 1987. Nkomo takes over the post left by the late vice President Joseph Msika, who died in August after a long illness. 

Under the 1987 unity accord, one of President Mugabe’s two vice presidents should come from the former PF Zapu. 

   One of Zanu-PF’s elderly statesmen, the widowed Nkomo was born in 1934 in the Tsholotsho District of Matabeleland North province.

By Radio VOP