President to meet war vets | The Herald March 19, 2016
Felex Share in Bindura
President Mugabe yesterday said he will meet war veterans during the first week of April for a frank and candid interaction which will allow the freedom fighters to air their grievances on all aspects.
Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at Chipadze Stadium here, the President said the planned meeting would be all encompassing as it would feature Cabinet ministers and commanders in charge of the country’s security sectors in their capacity as war veterans.
This comes after the war veterans, under the leadership of Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association chairperson Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, had their meeting cancelled last month because it was not sanctioned by the police.
The President said the meeting would be an opportunity to correct some war veterans who, of late, have gone rogue and displayed wayward behaviour.
“We want all the war veterans to come to Harare during the first week of April, you will be informed about the date,” he said.
“Come and let us discuss and we will also want to hear all your grievances. But we would also want to correct the awful thoughts amongst some of us who have imparted these appalling opinions to the youths who have gone to the extent of denigrating the First Lady and the President publicly. Mukatarisa zvirikuenda kuInternet kutuka kunonzi padanho renyu kutukirira nemazwi etsvina zvichibva mupfungwa yaanaMutsvangwa izvozvo.”
President Mugabe said such terrible and selfish agendas were being driven by ambitious party cadres who wanted leadership positions, including the Presidency.
He said he was free to step down from his post as long as people removed him at the right time and following laid-down procedures.
“Ipfungwa dzekuti President vagarisa dai vabva,” he said.
“If that is the case, why did we go for the elections in 2013? You want me to leave in the middle of my term? Wait for the congress. Kana muine vamunoti ava ndivo vangagone basa kupfuura President, movaisa pamberizve. So, war veterans, come to Harare and we talk about these issues. Hapana zvekutyana, tenge tichiti taurai zviri pamoyo penyu. Kana maakuda kuti vatungamiri vabve, ini ndibve, ndinobvaka kana madaro.”
President Mugabe said it was unfortunate that some people, who should be championing development in the country, were mudslinging the country’s leadership to investors.
“That’s where we are differing,” he said.
“And some of you are going as far as China telling them that we need a new leader. At the African Union we are trying to elevate our country and yet here, you are busy pulling me down. We should have respect to our leadership. If there are contradictions, we sit down and iron out the differences.”
He added: “War veterans, we know you have the capacity, as displayed during the liberation struggle, to mobilise people. We want you to persuade, through our ideology, people to be our members not to elect yourselves and disassociate yourselves from the party. No!”
President Mugabe said greedy party cadres would go the Mujuru cabal way, reminding them that the recently formed Zimbabwe People First party would not last the distance.
He said former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru, who was fired for plotting to topple him, had for long tried to destroy the party with the ‘Bhora Musango” concept but failed.
“It is surprising that now she claims that the elections were rigged,” President Mugabe said.
“You tell (Morgan) Tsvangirai (MDC-T leader) that the elections were rigged and where were you when they were being rigged? We will never steal elections because we have the support.”
President Mugabe went on: “We tried to develop her and even encouraged her to go to school but aah, takaona zvekuonerera zvakawanda. Nyaya yeambition ndiyo inoparira. Number one ndoyakapihwa vaMugabeka muna 2013 for five years. Tozoenda kumaelections kucongress kwedu. Anenge achidawo ouya pamberi. Vanhu kana vakuvhotera, vakuvhoteraka.”
He said while the Zanu-PF Women’s League was united, there was need for the Youth League to iron out differences and move in one direction.
He said something needed to be done at Altena Farm in Centenary, a place where liberation fighters marked the beginning of the second and decisive phase of the liberation struggle in 1972.
“If nothing had been done, we have to sit down and see what can be done. The farm should be in our hands,” President Mugabe said.
COMMENTS
It would appear that Mugabe has already taken position before the meeting with war veterans, this is not a surprise at all given his reputation as a ‘dictator’.
In his warped mind he still thinks that war veterans are his tools who should not question him when he tells them to jump the only response he would expect from them is ‘how high should we jump’.
I had a chance to follow the direction Zim 1 is taking Zimbabwe through the eyes of many people who have been contributing to this important subject. Zimbabwe is a country richly endowed with natural resources including human capital but it is doomed by the manner in which the country is run.
When Zim 1 was given the opportunity to lead some 36years ago, it was in recognition that he was incarcarated by a brutal regime for 11 years and he demonstrated that he could be Zimbabwea´s spokesperson even though he never fought in the armed struggle. He has since developed an iron fist that he does not tolerate different views or opinion even when he failed dismally to ru the economy.
Zimbabwe was brought to usd zero in all our bank accounts after appointing his wife,s nephew in the Reserve Bank where there was no fiscal discipline that erroded all bank accounts. When the two tried to make him de facto Prime Minister and bring him to parliament that was nationally resisted. All this happened after Zim 1 and his niece stopped Hon Vice President from taking over as 2nd Secretary after winning an election in 8 out of 10 provinces. Overnight he declared a woman Vice President who was not voted for abusing the gender emotions.
What followed was disaster, instead of retiring he continued to rule whe his chances of any success had been lost in 2005. Everyone knows that he has made his party supporters work against odds each time he went back into elections. His failed economic leadership made him unelectable while his party principles werw for the majority empowerement. What does he do, he forces the party to change the constitution so that no Vice President could directly come through the vote as in 2004. By doing this he weakens the position so that he can play chess with everyone.
He makes the party elevate his ….wife who is not fit for any post let alone head Women,s League. Soon it was clear that it was a way to mobilise Zim-Rho African elements who fought ex-combatants nearer to the centre of power to conduct a palace coup in the party with his blessing. He allowed Chombo to leash war on unarmed ex combatants to provoke their leader into a reaction that they will use to fire him from GOZ and party. This was an attempt to fire the Hon Vice President. The attempt failed as he was playing the same card he used to remove the female Vice President. What is clear is that Zim 1 can not be TRUSTED. HE President Marchel warned against him years ago. HE turned against the party when no one was not looking when Ian Smith used Justice Smith to handle him.Most of Ian Smith boys are now ruling with him with impunity, looting national resources to no end while 99% of the population is in abject poverty. Zim one has been taking anti aging drugs for years so that his children from a wife 42 years younger grow and be made heir to the throne like in North Korea. The kitchen Mugoti Nonsense is a mother fighting in her children,s corner.
The ex combatants were never important to both of them. They are supposed to be used to rule and be discarded like soiled water after a bath. Jabulani Sibanda and Chris Mutsvangwa are too smart to see the game at play and so were to be fired.
What Zim one forgets is that these two are only representing the viws of all those who laid down their lives. He can use money , his wife, and Zim-Rho elements around him to push his despoitic dictatorship agenda, but it is too late. All of us see what he is up to. We do´nt want our country destroyed for individual personal gain.
The separation of powers of the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary has been destroyed to an extent that all parastatals are vehicles to steal money for personal wealth paying homage to Zim 1 and those in his favour thus milking the country.
Zimbabweans, you can get ride of this menace, madness by being united into ONE VISION of national survival. We managed to have IT during Ian Smith´s era, it is time we become more determined now or there will be NO ZIMBABWE after 40 years in the WILDERNESS. Don´t forget that Zim1 boosts that he has played only 4cards out of a 100 so for. He can be of colour but he certainly is not for ZIMBABWE. HE will milk it to DEATH. HE IS G40. VaChihera: Professor