via War vets back Mujuru – DailyNews Live 18 August 2014 by Mugove Tafirenyika
HARARE – War veterans have defended Vice President Joice Mujuru, saying she deserved to be the country’s second in command despite reservations from a Zanu PF faction battling to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
Jabulani Sibanda, the war veterans leader, told the Daily News at the weekend that Mujuru was overwhelmingly endorsed by the people at successive congresses and said the war heroes were surprised people were now questioning her credentials a decade down the line.
Describing those who considered Mujuru an unelected official as misguided, Sibanda said the group which was publicly disparaging the vice president was itself guilty of bringing in “new faces” whom he said were causing confusion in the party.
“When she was elevated in 2004, this was well agreed to by the entirety of the party. It was like the world had endorsed her and it is strange to hear 10 years down the line people saying that,” said Sibanda.
“It is even shocking when some of the people who are saying this are the ones bringing in more new faces into the party.
“When she (Mujuru) was elevated to VP, it was like the whole world was in agreement and that remains the case today.”
As the factional fight to succeed Mugabe gets nastier by the day, supporters of a faction allegedly led by Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa argues that Mujuru’s “unelected” position does not make her ambition for the presidency any more superior to the claims of rivals for the job.
Mujuru reportedly leads a faction in Zanu PF that rivals that of Mnangagwa in the race to succeed the 90-year-old Mugabe.
Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Chris Mutsvangwa, who is believed to be a top Mnangagwa faction member, told the State media at the weekend that Mujuru was an unelected vice president and also claimed she lies about her liberation war exploits.
Mutsvangwa also took a dig at Zanu PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, and questioned his war credentials.
He accused Mutasa of taking advantage of his powers in the party to push through the Mujuru agenda.
In the controversial interview with the State media, Mutsvangwa claimed that Mujuru’s exploits of having shot down a Rhodesian helicopter were lies.
Asked about his views on the issue, Sibanda said he was not qualified to comment on what obtained in Mozambique as he was stationed in Zambia during the war.
“It is interesting to hear that being said by Mutsvangwa. We would also want to hear from them who was there or who was not there because even in Zipra, I cannot even tell all what happened because I could not have been everywhere,” he said.
But Sibanda had no kind words for the warring factions in Zanu PF.
“I can honestly tell you that the ideals of the revolution are being betrayed with what is happening in the party.
“Founding values are being lost and even Joshua Nkomo’s legacy has been destroyed,” Sibanda said.
COMMENTS
War vets this is the right thing to do. You are on the right path.
I dont care about zanu. Let them fight to their death.
What ideals? These morally bankrupt ZANU’s have never had any ideals only lies piled on top deceit and greed.
Mujuru aka Spillblood Nongo. What does that tell you?
Mujuru better than disgrace’s faction! !!!!
Dont be fooled people. Joyce Mujuru is/was never intelligent enough to run our country. We all know the reason why she was elevated to that post was because, like all her other predecessors, Mugabe knew she was yet another mentally avarage or challenged candidate in the mold of Muzenda & Msipa, who would pose no threat whatsoever to his presidency. So please lets not be brainwashed to think that she is the caliber that can lead a nation, as she actually got to that post because of the opposite.
Let the whore vets vote for ghosts
I SUGGEST WE CHANGE THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY TO MUGABESIA!
Everybody in Zimbabwe is a War Veteran! Which war are you talking about? Is it the chimurenga war or WW2?
The war now is the EconoWar and the veterans will emerge! Give them a chance!
We are supposed to forget that Sibanda was one of those suspended from ZPF after the Tsholotsho Declaration which tried to prevent Mujuru’s elevation. After Mujuru was forced down the party’s throats Sibanda complained that internal democracy in ZPF was dead and that the election process was pre-determined by the politburo.
So how many aircraft did smith have when every war veteran claims to have brought one down and one eyewitness claims to have witnessed the shooting down of several jets during the Chinhoyi Battle while peeping through a keyhole?
War vets my ars@.
Dirty cowards that can only show any bravery when they outnumber a lone farmer by 100 to one!!!!!!!!!
The War veterans will back a hippo if it pays for them to live nice. The sell outs.
Those that want to see the back of this regime should just sit back and watch. Where there are a lot of mixed signals normally causes collapse. There is a big power struggle with in those that rule and it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. As I have said before, the window of opportunity will open. There just needs to be able people willing to climb through.
Count me and mine in!
Thank you zanu pf you have no respect to the Zim People but thinking that we all like it therefor give Zapu a Chance come out of the Offices end of this month
Once again we are spending our time discussing ZANU PF, instead of what we ought to do to free ourselves from the yoke of oppression, poor governance and corruption which are all synonymous to ZANU PF. Whether Mujuru is intelligent or not to take over should never be of interest to us. She should not take over, period. She is just as corrupt as the rest of them. So is Mnangagwa. Is Mugabe intelligent enough to run Zimbabwe? To answer that, look at us after 34 years of an “intelligent and educated” man running the country.
This wait, sit back and watch ZANU PF implode attitude will not cut it either, because there is no guarantee that it will implode, and if it does there are going to be unintended consequences and a lot of innocent blood will be lost.
Now is the time to spend most of our energy educating ourselves of the post Mugabe scenarios and assess our options. We have to be involved in a making effective steps to expedite the best option.
A better Zimbabwe must come from a change effected by the people, not by default because ZANU PF collapses on its own wait, because if it does, which I think is not likely, opportunists will fill in the vacuum and we will never be better off. Zimbabwe will become a totally failed state.
We need to gain the courage for civil disobedience and dictate our future not to have our future imposed on us within or without ZANU PF. REFUSE, CHILDREN, TO BE USED BY THESE POLITICIANS, and cast away the myopia of an instant better future based on the mere succession battle in ZANU PF. We have to and must earn our freedom if ever we are to realise lasting freedom.
Patti with all due respects to you there are a lot of things happening now and a little that people can do individually. Zanu has made sure that we don’t get together as a collective. “Sit back and watch” is used in my comment as a figure of speech. The “window of opportunity” is the beginning confusion that is Zanu pf now.The “able people” are the masses. Having said that as usual a good comment from you.
I like Stingrays question, How many helicopters? Everyday on ZBC everyone is claiming to have brought down a helicopter. Ummm!
Pati, u need to take an active move first, then others will follow; Otherwise you become indifferent.
the youth must decide their future
But I am.