via Real war veterans reduced to helpless spectators | SW Radio Africa by Tanonoka Joseph Whande 20 January 2014
I wonder if Zimbabwe will ever make a worse mockery of itself to beat taking Joseph Chinotimba seriously enough to actually swear him into parliament. This is the most disgusting thing ever to happen in our parliament.
Now the illiterate charlatan, who never fought in the war, is making foolish demands on behalf of what he called war veterans. He and some other unelected fools in parliament want a ministry of their own as if they did anything for Zimbabwe.
They are asking for a stand-alone ministry, which would cost us millions to establish and run, just so that they can have a center from which to direct their unruly behaviour. They want offices from which they will be paid for destroying the country.
But first, I must mourn the silence of the real war veterans who have always quietly stood by the sidelines and watched fake war veterans, like Chinotimba and Jabulani Sibanda, who never fought in the war, champion Mugabe’s causes through extortion, blackmail, murder and vice.
From the type of people we have been exposed to claiming to be war veterans, I am not convinced that the nation of Zimbabwe owes these thugs and murderers anything.
The war of which they claim to be veterans of was fought to bring protection, freedom and independence to the people – none of which has been delivered.
This group of murderers and extortionists has brought us more misery than we had before their arrival.
I concede that the intention was noble; I accept there was need to pick up the gun and bring independence, freedom and justice to our nation.
I accept that we needed to run our own country as we saw fit. To that end, our children flocked to join the war effort to liberate our country for very noble reasons.
What burns my heart though is that the aims of the revolution were discarded immediately after ZANU-PF came to power.
Suddenly, we found out that we were better off with the colonial oppressors than under our own African leaders.
Even the side-lining of the real war veterans is a clear indication of how the revolution was lost after it had been won.
So, who are these people who are being allowed to terrorise, murder, extort and blackmail the people of Zimbabwe? Who is behind them and why?
These are the very same people who were given demobilisation moneys and failed to use the money wisely. Do not talk to me about the money having been too little. We all work hard for little.
These are the same people who, we are told, forced the government to give them lump sums of money and Mugabe, foolish as he is and facing declining popularity at that time, acquiesced and gave each one of them thousands and thousands of dollars the nation could not afford.
That marked the decline and eventual collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar.
To this day, the nation has never recovered from that careless hand-out of money to undeserving people.
They kept making louder and louder noises, with encouragement from the old dictator who had now seen that people did not want him anymore. Mugabe abandoned any pretence of decent rule and used some of these hungry people, turning them into thugs to silence the people.
Mugabe created for them a department within the Ministry of Defence. Money was looted to smithereens by those same people who were supposed to benefit from it.
After receiving the money, they went on a rampage, buying watches for their goats and cabbages for their cattle.
Now, they are back again and they want a ministry of their own. They want their thuggery legitimised.
No, there should not be such a Ministry. The Department of Social Services can handle the real war veterans, none of whom should be below age 48 if we accept that one joined the struggle at twelve years, three years before independence in 1980.
My heart bleeds for the real war veterans who are themselves victims of Mugabe’s thugs who masquerade as war veterans.
My understanding of this scenario is that the real war veterans, those who participated and saw actual combat do not wish to see any conflict or war in Zimbabwe again because their experiences were extremely painful, physically, mentally and psychologically – not to mention the physical scars they still carry around.
These buffoons, Chinotimba and Sibanda, want money.
If they cared about war veterans, if they knew what war does to someone and if they had seen real war, they would not be asking for money.
They would be asking for something that could actually help war veterans, in real terms.
If Mugabe himself cared about war veterans, why is that today, 34 years after so-called independence, there is still not a single Veterans Memorial Hospital where these people could be afforded specialised treatment peculiar to their injuries, along with psychological and mental treatment?
The money that was lost by disbursing it to unworthy fake veterans could have been used to assist those who actually saw combat and received permanent emotional scars.
But, they are not war veterans.
They have been demanding money since way back when and they were paid and as soon as they accepted payment, they ceased to be liberators but became mercenaries in their own country.
Since they accepted payment, they are not our veterans but might be whatever they are to those who paid them.
The liberation of Zimbabwe was not by ZANU-PF or PF-ZAPU fighters alone. The villagers carried the brunt of the war.
The villagers would also need to be compensated for their losses and participation as well.
But why should anyone be paid for liberating their own country?
The real war veterans fought for freedom of the people; they fought for people to be free to decide what they wanted. The war was not fought so that other people would impose their will on others like we see today.
The heart of the matter is that real war veterans would have kept an eye on Mugabe and ZANU-PF to ensure that they uphold the intended goals of the liberation war; that Mugabe gave the people the freedom they so many sacrificed for.
They would not be beggars and extortionists who turn on their own innocent brothers and sisters but, instead, ensure that the flame of the revolution is keenly guarded for the benefit of all citizens.
Now these thugs masquerading as war veterans have stolen our lives. They have destroyed our country. They have killed our people and continue to do so.
They are blackmailing us as if we sent them to do what they did.
Because of them, we cannot enjoy our freedom, our independence and our country for which the ordinary Zimbabweans sacrificed so much.
Mugabe enlisted these fake war veterans to steal from the people, to kill our people, to rape and abuse our nation and to make room for thievery and vice that ZANU-PF is undertaking in Zimbabwe.
Yet, amongst us the real war veterans mingle silently because they too are victims of a good process they started in good faith but which has now been hijacked. They watch helplessly as their ultimate efforts are soiled. They have been robbed of their sacrifices, of their dignity and of their country. Their dreams lie in ruins as fake war veterans benefit at their expense.
I wish the real war veterans would come forward and save the nation from Mugabe and his thugs who are soiling the name of those who sacrificed so much for the liberation of our country.
Pasi na Robert Mugabe.
Pasi neZANU-PF.
I am Tanonoka Joseph Whande and that, my fellow Zimbabweans, is the way it is today, Monday, January 20th, 2014.
COMMENTS
So where are the REAL war vets, let us hear them!
Gukurahundi Mugabe practices Shona politics. That of appointing any rubbish to positions of authority simply because they are Shona. Its called the Mwanawekumusha syndrome. Thus is why Joseph Chinotimba is where he is today. In Mthwakazi, we dont have such a thing. We believe in merit.
Where is mthwakazi? and what does it stand for? and where are its origins ? and who does it represent? the article does not divide war veterans on tribal lines.its simply calling for true heroes to speak and not let their cause be sabotaged by Jabu and Chinos. with that mentality mr mthwakazi u will die disappointed. both shonas and ndebeles are suffering right now so stop dividing people and encourage the nation to rise against a common enemy (zanu thugs).
We understand your frustration Whande. Genuine war veterans have taken a stand and said NO see ZUNDE at http://www.zunde.org. Join them if you too are serious.
Whande you are the man brother.Thanks for telling it like it is.
Exposinf this corript.murderous. thieving dictatorship which runs on patronage and nepotism
Holy Moyo
Vanvouver
PSYSUEDO!
Who are these war vets. How old are they ?
Whande, u have say it as it is, me as a war collaborator i didn’ t get anything from zanu pf so as povo, i think they played a very big row, by suplying food, clothe and shelta, but what they get from zanu pf besides being beaten by fake war vets jabulani and chinos every general election. If smith was like our devil robie in our first general in 1980, do u think we were going to survive? Pasi ne zanu pf ne zvimbwasungata zvayo.
I have never met a “real war veteran” that had enough arse in his pants and enough manhood between his legs to pick up a rifel and fight in a real military engagement. But I’ve seen lots of wovits that murdered unarmed women and children, extorted and brutalized out tribal elders. Anyone that would use a military missile to shoot down a civilian airliner, then bayonet the survivors has no right to claim the title of being a soldier, a veteran, or even a man.
“The light of the wicked shall come to naught, its flame shall not be seen, its spark shall be put out.”
Sweet dreams comrades, sweet dreams.
Have a look at “Anatomy of Terror” it will support your statement
Mugabe akukanganwa kuti akabviswa muma safari suit nevana vevamwe vanhu.
Die groot, they r some war vets/comrades who did not kill/harm an civilian during war time, the same as some soldiers from smiths army.
Chinotimba and this grade 2 dropout know very well that they are being paid for a job they are not qualified for. Its called corruption and evil. Its a crime Chinoz in a civilized society to earn money for a job you have zilch knowledge about. It will soon catch up on you sir.
Buhera community voted for chinoz,they are the one dull
Uuuum Garikayi pasipanodya!
There was nothing buhera people could do simply bcause chinoz was imposed to them by zanu pf. See what is happening now between musakwa and kereke
This is certainly a very emotive subject. The writer of the article became a victim of the said emotions and ended up mixing issues. For example one is left unsure whether there are any real war vets at all because at the end he lambasts all and sundry. To my knowledge most war vets got demobilisation money or some compensation of sorts. At the same time the “fake” war vets also took advantage. So do the real war vets stop being that because there were fake ones who got on the band wagon? Or do they cease being war vets because they received compensation and are also getting a paltry pension. I dont know.
Then there is the commentator who talks about not knowing “a real war vet with enough arse ”’ and manhood between his legs to pick up a rifle and fight a real military engagement”. Really? I guess the Rhodesian Army spent the whole of 16 years just running around the country and chasing after ghosts. If people do not know, they should keep quiet.
The term war vets really means all that fought in the war including the Rhodesian soldiers. These Rhodesian soldiers were integrated into the new army while others including some guerillas were demobbed . So the real question is why are all the former combatants quiet given the current rule of law and abuse of it.
My heart bleeds for the Tanonoka’s. Yes! We want to hear from the true war vets. We stand together with you. Your legacy is being stolen.
Haalo my friend Bungese Tauyawo. The Rhodesian Army spent most of the 16 years of the bushwar not chasing ghosts, but terrorists that almost always targeted unarmed civilians mostly women and children, both black and white, but mostly black. I can’t remember a time when your wovits targeted a legitimate military target.
Why should anyone soldier or not be expected to do for people that will not do for themselves. Dr. Martin Luther King once said “when the end comes, remember not the works of your enemies but the silence of your friends.”
You’re right Bungese when people will not speak the truth, or “do not know they should keep quiet.”
I’m so glad that we agree.
Sweet dreams comrades, sweet dreams.
Ian Smith was right. He foretold exactly what would happen.