Source: War vets target ministers – DailyNews Live
Mugove Tafirenyika 22 July 2017
HARARE – Former Cabinet minister and chairperson of the Zimbabwe National
Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) – Christopher Mutsvangwa has
warned that the former freedom fighters will not rest until two ministers
they accuse of sowing divisions in Zanu PF – Saviour Kasukuwere and
Jonathan Moyo are ejected from the party.
Mutsvangwa, with the support of his fellow executive member and
spokesperson of the ex-combatants, Douglas Mahiya, also vowed never to
form a political party – dismissing as mischievous claims by other
disgruntled members that war veterans were at the cusp of launching a new
political formation.
“Moyo and his cohorts including Kasukuwere will be ejected from the party
and Zanu PF will be sanitised then thereafter it will deliver itself back
to its rightful owners, the people of Zimbabwe.
“We will never form another party because we are going to kick out the G40
and reclaim our party,” Mutsvangwa said in reference to the faction of
young Turks known as Generation 40 (G40) which is fiercely opposed to Vice
President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe.
Mutsvangwa insisted that war veterans have no issues with Mugabe because
they were clear that their problem was the G40 faction.
“We have maintained we have absolutely no quarrel with the patron
(Mugabe). Know your enemy is the dictum of guerrilla warfare. G40 is the
enemy,” said Mutsvangwa.
Mutsvangwa and the larger section of the war veterans have consistently
accused the G40 of destabilising Zanu PF and have not hidden their dislike
for both Moyo and Kasukuwere.
Both Moyo and Kasukuwere are alleged to be kingpins of the G40 faction but
the duo has repeatedly denied belonging to any faction.
Mahiya, who was said to be among people privy to the formation of a new
political party by the war veterans, distanced the ex-combatants from the
“planned” political party.
He said the former freedom fighters were mainly concerned about their
exclusion from Zanu PF not fighting the former liberation movement which
he said had been “hijacked” by people he said were Johnnie-came-latelies.
“War veterans would really want to remain in the only one political home
they have ever known (Zanu PF) but we are worried when the G40 thinks we
have become irrelevant.
“If we have become irrelevant as ex-combatants, then the nationalists in
Zanu PF should also be irrelevant because we were together in the
struggle.
“We will never leave the party but we will continue to tell the people
that we are concerned that Zanu PF has lost revolutionary characteristics,
there is too much corruption and there is no development taking place
because of the G40 element in the party,” said Mahiya.
Last week, a war veteran, Thomas Chitauro told the Daily News that they
were close to launching a political party.
“We are coming up with something and working with war veterans across the
board. At the moment, I cannot say much but will inform you in due
course,” said Chitauro.
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