via Anti-Kaukonde demo in Marondera | The Herald November 5, 2014
War veterans in Marondera yesterday staged a demonstration against Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairperson, Cde Ray Kaukonde, for allegedly organising youths to heckle First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe during her “Meet the People” rally at Rudhaka Stadium last month.
Zanu-PF Politburo member, Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, addressed the demonstrators and promised to take up their complaints.
The former freedom fighters also accused Cde Kaukonde, who was not at the offices, of protecting white commercial farmers in return for kickbacks.
They also alleged that Cde Kaukonde had little respect for freedom fighters as he was in the habit of denigrating them.
The war veterans demanded that Zanu-PF relieves Cde Kaukonde of his duties. The former freedom fighters marched from their offices in the town to Zanu-PF provincial offices waving placards and singing revolutionary songs and denouncing Cde Kaukonde, while police details watched vigilantly from a distance.
At the provincial offices, they sang and danced waving placards and denouncing Cde Kaukonde before their leader, Cde Patrick Makombe, gave a solidarity message.
Cde Sekeramayi, who was holding a party meeting at the offices, briefly emerged and invited leaders of the demonstrators to advise them to leave once they were through with their demonstration to allow the smooth flow of the on-going party meeting.
When Cde Makombe told the war veterans about what Cde Sekeramayi had said, they demanded that he address them.
They withdrew from the front office and went to an adjacent gate where they continued singing, demanding that Cde Sekeramayi address them.
Cde Sekeramayi, who is also Defence Minister, eventually went to listen to their grievances before addressing them.
Some of the grievances were that war veterans were being neglected despite their sacrifices while a few people were living lavish lifestyles.
“We are now getting old, but we have nothing to show for our contribution to the liberation struggle,” said one of the war veterans. “Only a few people are living lavish lives while most of us have been reduced to paupers.” In his address to the war veterans, Cde Sekeramayi said he would take their grievances up, saying some of them (grievances) might take longer to be addressed while others could be dealt with shortly.
“I have heard your grievances and we will be taking them up,” he said. “Your grievances will be tabled before the December elective congress, while some of them will be channelled to the relevant ministries. Some of them cannot be resolved overnight, while others might be dealt with shortly.”
Cde Sekeramayi angered the war veterans when he appeared to avoid giving a specific response on Cde Kaukonde’s fate.
“There are party rules and regulations governing how people are elected into office or removed, be it at cell, branch, district or province,” he said.
Some of the placards read: “Ray Kaukonde; a man of loose morals,” “Pasi naChairman wefeki”; “Baba havagarwi nhaka varivapenyu”; “Ray and his Executive must go”; “Kaukonde naChiwetu kukungira amai zvibhakera hero ngozi.”
During her address in Mashonaland East province, Amai Mugabe accused Cde Kaukonde of fanning factionalism in the party, saying he was working together with Vice President Joice Mujuru to depose President Mugabe.
She accused Cde Kaukonde of putting on a fake smile while backstabbing the First Family.
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