Source: Million-man march useless: War vets – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 11, 2016
THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) — for long regarded as President Robert Mugabe’s support pillar — yesterday dismissed the planned million-man march, being organised by the Zanu PF youth league, as insincere, ill-timed and an unwarranted abuse of scarce resources at a time the economy was teetering on the brink of collapse.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
ZNLWVA spokesperson Douglas Mahiya accused the organisers of the march, slated for May 25, of failing to appreciate the real issues affecting the generality of Zimbabweans.
“There is no sincerity in the million-man march. There is no political consciousness. It will not revive industry or bring food on the table. They should, instead, find out from us the formula we used to bring independence. A million-man march, then what?” Mahiya asked rhetorically.
“The march will not stabilise our party’s structures. It is a ploy by the likes of (Zanu PF deputy youth secretary Kudzai) Chipanga and Saviour Kasukuwere (Zanu PF national political commissar) to lull the President into a false sense of security.”
Mahiya added: “That is where we differ. There are war veterans, old men and women sleeping in the same room as their children due to harsh economic conditions, but these people choose to dole out houses to unmarried youths. It does not make sense and just sells out their nefarious and sinister plot.”
Asked if the former freedom fighters would participate if they were invited, Mahiya said the Zanu PF youth league had destroyed any chance of that.
“They have already failed. It is not as automatic as that. Our definition of solidarity is that it is done by a person seeking support or trying to be relevant. We do not need to be relevant because we have already walked from Mozambique, Zambia and other countries. We have done our part. In fact, we are not stakeholders, but stockholders.
It is only stakeholders who are seeking a place in Zanu PF who should be planning a march,” he said, adding the Zanu PF youth league had already shown disdain for the former freedom fighters.
The youth league reportedly supports a Zanu PF faction known as the G40, which is believed to be fronted by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
The G40 faction is reportedly locked in a vicious succession fight with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the race to succeed 92-year-old Mugabe.
Zanu PF insiders said the proposed march was a subtle campaign to derail Mnangagwa’s ambitions.
But party youth league political commissar Innocent Hamandishe yesterday insisted the march was a show of support for Mugabe and had nothing to do with the raging factional fights.
“That is why it is a youth league programme. We want to show our support to the one who is important and that is the President,” Hamandishe said.
On the issue of invitations, Hamandishe said the march was discussed in the Zanu PF politburo and, thus, invitations had automatically been extended to all party structures.
“The secretary for war veterans (Defence minister) Sydney Sekeramayi sits in the politburo and, hence, they stand invited,” he said.
Chipanga, who has already fallen foul of the former fighters after making disparaging remarks about them, yesterday declined to be drawn into discussing Mahiya’s accusations.
“I do not want to say much about the issue, but we will invite all stakeholders. We will invite war veterans through letters,” he said, refusing to elaborate on whether the league would be doing so through the ZNLWVA or War Veterans ministry.
As part of preparations for the proposed march, the youth league has asked each of the party’s 10 provinces to raise at least $50 000 to sponsor about 100 000 youths with each member asked to pay $25 towards the event.
COMMENTS
Million-man march. 100 000 youths to participate. $500 000 required. $25 to be contributed per member.
Somebody should buy these guys a calculator.
Kkkkk kkkkkk. That’s how they always steal from the gullible & illiterate fools.
Obviously the gullible totally agree that 1milliom (zanu pf youth )X$25 per BorderGezi idiot = $500 000.
That is zanu pf-Mugabe maths and economics at its best – the godfather one Robert mugabe calls it practical maths or practical economics.
And, that’s the so-called education that Mugabe boasts of having given Zimbabweans. Nxaaa.
@ Joe I think they meant 100000 from each province
Ndirikurwadziwa in my heart.
I don’t understand whether its that we as the youth are blind or unable think for ourselves, why are we allowing these people to use us like this. In Africa the youth movement should be setting the pace of the politics in the country. We by far out number these old men, they have lived their lives have secured the futures of their children and are sitting pretty. Imwi you don’t have stable jobs , you can afford a stand let alone a house, your kids will not get the education that you got and yet you stand up to go for a 1million man march because you want chii?? What is it that you want, we already know that you support Uncle bob, the question is
1. does he know that ?
2. does he care that you support him and
3 all that he has promised you, can he deliver.
Do youths honestly think that we would have factional fights if we were pushing them to fix the economy, this business would have fixed itself a longtime ago.
All I’m saying to Zanu Youths is , 35 years ago the youths were ma War Vets, look at where they are now , all because they traded their power for things and issues that detracted from the economic and legal issues of the country and got bought off by ma $50000 akapera gore ravakaapiwa and the rest of the fund looted. These are the people that are you are showing disrespect to now and these are the people that you will be in 30 years in the eyes of your children if you sleep on the job and let yourselves be carried away by ana Kasukuwere who has settled his family , his brothers and whose family will always have a place in politics even is Ngwena comes into power.
LET US NOT BE USED AND DISCARDED LIKE TISSUES, let us learn from the past so that our children will not suffer for our follies.
We want the empowerment , the jobs , the economic freedom that you promised us.
That’s what we should be Marching to not zvinya zvisina basa izvi.
But come to think of it, who built a top milk factory from Bacossi and then ran it down? Who is not affected by the failed companies and country they preside over. Dai uri iwe kana baba wako, imba dzingadai dziri ku auction izvozvi. Who does not pay workers and no one says pewee? Who goes to Singapore for medical attention? Who sends their daughters to give birth overseas when Mbuya Nehanda, who they ascribe their leadership too is here? Ma Youth muri mapofu!
What happens when you give a monkey a banana ? It takes it and runs away never comes back. Nothing in return it just runs Away with everything. That’s what’s happening in Zimbabwe .