WAR veterans aligned to the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led executive have vowed to snub the forthcoming Zanu PF annual conference to be held in Masvingo next week, as their relations with the ruling party continue to deteriorate.
Source: War vets vow to boycott Zanu PF conference – NewsDay Zimbabwe December 6, 2016
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya, confirmed the development yesterday, saying this would be the first time war veterans have boycotted such a key event.
“They won’t be any war veteran there at the conference, and this is the first time that President (Robert) Mugabe would address the Zanu PF conference without the war veterans,” he said.
“Christopher Mutsvangwa, the democratically-elected leader of the war veterans, is not wanted by this Zanu PF G40, which is afraid of us because we don’t represent their corrupt tendencies.
“This conference has no relevance because, we the people, who founded the struggle that led to the formation of the party, are now detached from it. We have been made to feel secluded from the values we founded, the ethos we fought for and introduced in Zimbabwe.”
But Zanu PF political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday brushed off the boycott threat, saying: “War veterans will be there. We have our President who is a war veteran, Vice-President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa is a war veteran, so is VP Phelekezela Mphoko. Only those war veterans, who were expelled from the party, will not be there.
“Zanu PF is united and all those contradictions are part of our internal debate. It is democracy within the party.”
Mutsvangwa and his executive were kicked out of the ruling party early this year on accusations of fanning factionalism and propping Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed Mugabe.
Mahiya said Zanu PF had lost relevance because those remaining in the party were devoid of the values and ethos of the armed struggle.
Zanu PF is set to hold its annual conference in Masvingo and normally war veterans give a solidarity message—as an affiliate of the party — but due to factional fights rocking both Zanu PF and the association itself, Mahiya said no one should claim to represent them at the conference.
Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene and her faction of the war veterans’ association were recently barred by the High Court from masquerading as leaders of the former fighters.
COMMENTS
Yes. It is plausible to see that eventually the once blind-folded & gullible O-vets seem to now have waken up from their three and half decades of foolish slumber. Ureka; the ever gullible have finally seen light! We hope they wont lapse again into their drunken stupor.
Anyway, if the thuggish & thieving Kasukuwere is to be credited for anything, it was for telling these so-called o-vets that they were foolish drunkards who did not deserve to be taken seriously by anyone, let alone ZANU PF leadership. Clearly it was then that they seem to have started introspecting and acting like normal human beings with some semblance of understanding of what it means to be in a liberated country. They seem to now know what all and sundry realized at least two decades ago, that Zimbabwe was still under capture. It’s a captured by a few hyenas wearing a black skin, whose deeds & intentions are worse than those of former hyenas who had white skin. Nxxxxxxxxx
Not all war vets are aligned to Chris. obviously there are other war vets associations which are free to attend.
It is mayor wishful thinking that no war vet would attend when the vice presidents and the president himself are all war vets.
The three of them are enough for the conference.
Where did President Mugabe take part in combat, such that he is a war veteran?
First things first, Mugabe by definition is not a war veteran. His participation in the war effort is insignificant. His effort minimal at best.
Also these war vets were not invited to this useless conference. So how can they claim that they are boycotting the conference in the first place.
Yes. Mugabe is surely not a war vet. In fact, he is very much a political detainee turned political leader yes. Not a war vet by any stretch of imagination. In fact, rumour has it that even to date the old man is not capable of pulling a trigger, let alone pointing a gun at any specific target and accurately shooting at it. Yes only the Kasukuweres & Jonathan Moyos will tell anyone a different story in their insatiable shameless endeavour to ingratiate themselves with the First Family; for self-serving purposes of course.