Source: War vets rally behind Mutsvangwa exec – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 18, 2017
WAR veterans from Matabeleland region have thrown their weight behind the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) executive and challenged non-members to stop meddling in the association’s affairs.
Mutsvangwa’s executive has been battling several attempts to oust them from office by a Zanu PF G40 faction linked to First Lady Grace Mugabe.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
Mutsvangwa’s executive is under-fire for openly challenging President Robert Mugabe to step down or name a successor.
On Monday, war veterans’ leaders from Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and North met in the second biggest city, where they resolved any attempts by their Zanu PF rivals to intimidate them into dumping Mutsvangwa.
“The ZNLWVA has a leadership that was elected in Masvingo. We elected Mutsvangwa to lead the association until the next congress, and it will remain just like that until 2019 when we hold our elective congress,” ZNLWVA Bulawayo provincial chairman Cephas Ncube said.
This followed claims that a group of war veterans led by Patrick Nyaruwata and George Mlala had recently taken charge of the ZNLWVA.
“That is a bogus association fronted by some crooks in the G40 . . . Also, anyone who does not have a ZNLWVA membership card must just shut up and not talk about the goings-on in the association. We have an executive and we are standing by it until the next congress in 2019,” he said.
“We have also instructed our district chairpersons not to tolerate any attempts to use our structures to front G40 shenanigans, and also this bogus war veteran’s
structure.
“We don’t have any other association or leader. This is the only legitimate association representing all ex-combatants and we, therefore, want to send a clear message to those who want to meddle in our affairs that we are no longer tolerating their antics.”
Matabeleland South and North war veterans provincial chairpersons Section Ncube and Sonny Mnguni echoed similar sentiments.
The ex-fighters also denounced plans told hold an extra-ordinary Zanu PF congress to purge Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his alleged allies.
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