WAR veterans secretary-general and newly-appointed War Veterans deputy minister Victor Matemadanda has hailed President Emmerson Mnangagwa for dumping some of the long-serving ministers whom he described as wealthy politicians.
Source: ED hailed for dumping ‘wealthy ministers’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe
BY SHARON SIBINDI
He said the selection process was not easy for the President.
Addressing war veterans at Entumbane in Bulawayo on Saturday, Matemadanda said it was time for fresh minds in Cabinet.
“We need to thank the President on the new Cabinet. It was very difficult to put some of the people who were put in the Cabinet this time. To think of it, some of the ‘wealthy people’ were left behind, for that we must thank the President. Let’s have new people who can make new mistakes and this he has done,” he said.
Mnangagwa appointed a new Cabinet which saw new faces such as Mthuli Ncube (Finance minister) and the internationally-acclaimed athlete Kirsty Coventry (Youth, Sport ministry) getting in.
Some of the ministers who lost their portifolios include Obert Mpofu (Home Affairs), Supa Mandiwanzira (Information Communication Technology), Patrick Chinamasa (Finance), David Parirenyatwa (Health) and Simon Khaya Moyo (Energy), among others.
Matemadanda urged Zimbabweans to unite and work together for the development of the nation.
“There is a complaint that our offices in the ministry are not that welcoming, comrades. I have a list of people whom comrades are saying they would not want them to continue and I have briefed the President,” he said.
“If the President gives us the office, saying it is for war vets and the officials at the end of the day do not want to see the war vets, this means that those offices have no use.”
Matemadanda cautioned war veterans who look down upon their colleagues and challenged them to choose whether they still want to work for the comrades or leave the association.
“When we say comrades, we are talking about people who are poor, down trodden and if you are not prepared to work with these people, then you have no business in the office,” he said. The remarks confirmed the divisions that have rocked the war veterans association.
“If there is anyone who is working with them, you tell them that I said they have two choices — to change within hours or leave us,” he said.
Matemadanda said divisions in the war veterans body negatively impacted on the outcome of the July 30 elections.
“Every little opposition will want to have its war vets, so it is very important for us if we want this legacy to continue going ahead, to sit down and see where our differences are to iron them out. Let us engage and fix this issue because it is about the legacy of the revolution and make sure that we protect this legacy,” he said.
The event want attended by Tshinga Dube, Raj Modi, Cephas Ncube, Christopher Sibanda, among others.
COMMENTS
Many countries have war veterans and we hardly hear about them in politics.I’m surprised at the noise and political meddling war vets in zimbabwe are involved in.It has reached such irritating levels.You hear war vets at some times threatening with civil war as if it is a game.They dont even realise that they are not getting young but are getting old.I wonder how many of them still have the energy to hold the lightest riffle.Zimbabweans have suffered for far too long for people to still take people’s lives for granted.Politicians,war vets and business people who have benefited from the situation Zimbabwe has been in for the past 20 years dont want to see the rest of Zimbabweans prosper.It is quite unfortunate that the West by imposing sanctions to Zimbabwe,they did not see that they were giving politicians the chance to loot and leave the country dry.Politicians steal from every section of the economy hiding behind sanctions.This is what they are used to.They reap where they did not sow.How can some people in a country slapped with sanctions become so filthy rich while the rest of the people smell reeks of abject poverty?This is why people like the wars vets will do everything in their power to keep those who have enriched their lives in power.They want, in the name of war vets ,to keep on getting some unforseen privileges from government.We appreciate their contribution in fighting for our freedom.They must be given recognition befitting them but not to let them make such political noise as if they are the only ones who suffered for the country.War vets in Zimbabwe are becoming a nonsense and must be shown their proper place.Being a war vet does not mean that people must be scared of you.You are just human like everyone else.They must not utter things that bring disharmony in the country.Zimbabwe is not given to a particular section of people but to every Zimbabwean.It seems as if noone will be allowed to rule Zimbabwe but only them.Where is it written?Time will tell.