News / Local
War veterans in opposition should back off
21 Aug 2014 at 11:24hrs | Views
Former acting Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson, George Mlala, on Tuesday lashed out at war veteran, Max Mkandla, saying he should stop advising the ruling party on how to handle the appointment of the vice-president and concentrate on re-building his party, the opposition MDC-T.
The VP post fell vacant when John Nkomo passed away last year.
Mkandla-who has been a member of the opposition before- this week warned ex-PF-Zapu members like former Zipra commanders Ambrose Mutinhiri and Phelekezela Mphoko to stop "jostling for the vice-president position" and let current ruling party national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo sail through.
But Mlala - a war veteran who has been lobbying for former Zipra cadres to assume senior positions in Zanu-PF, responded by questioning Mkandla's credentials that qualify him to comment on internal Zanu-PF matters.
"Who is Max Mkandla?" fumed Mlala. "He is not in the Zanu-PF structures. We know him as MDC, which has split into MDC Mutambara, MDC-T, MDC-N and continues to split. Mkandla cannot teach Zanu-PF how to handle its issues. He should not poke his nose into Zanu-PF issues. In any case, I have never had any ex-Zipra combatant saying (they) trained with Mkandla. Where did he train?"
In the post 2000 era, Mkandla was a leader of the Liberators Platform of Zimbabwe which was highly critical of the Zanu-PF government.
Mlala said both Mphoko - who was commander responsible for logistics in Zipra - and Mutinhiri- who was chief of staff in the same liberation army - played an important role in the liberation of this country "politically and militarily", which puts them in a good position to assume the VP position.
"They were in the Joint Military Command in1972 and they were there during the formation of Zipa (Zimbabwe Integrated People's Army," said Mlala.
He also poured cold water on sentiments by some in the party that Mphoko - a career diplomat - was not in touch with Zanu-PF's grassroots membership.
"He worked for the Zanu-PF government and was a diplomat," said Mlala, who is on record as saying Moyo can be challenged for the vacant VP post. "After the Unity Accord of 1987, he was a member of the central committee but had to go and take up diplomatic postings, some as far as Russia, and would you have wanted him to continue in the central committee in such a situation? There is a waiver in the party for such people."
Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its elective congress in December and already there is jockeying for positions.
The VP post fell vacant when John Nkomo passed away last year.
Mkandla-who has been a member of the opposition before- this week warned ex-PF-Zapu members like former Zipra commanders Ambrose Mutinhiri and Phelekezela Mphoko to stop "jostling for the vice-president position" and let current ruling party national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo sail through.
But Mlala - a war veteran who has been lobbying for former Zipra cadres to assume senior positions in Zanu-PF, responded by questioning Mkandla's credentials that qualify him to comment on internal Zanu-PF matters.
"Who is Max Mkandla?" fumed Mlala. "He is not in the Zanu-PF structures. We know him as MDC, which has split into MDC Mutambara, MDC-T, MDC-N and continues to split. Mkandla cannot teach Zanu-PF how to handle its issues. He should not poke his nose into Zanu-PF issues. In any case, I have never had any ex-Zipra combatant saying (they) trained with Mkandla. Where did he train?"
Mlala said both Mphoko - who was commander responsible for logistics in Zipra - and Mutinhiri- who was chief of staff in the same liberation army - played an important role in the liberation of this country "politically and militarily", which puts them in a good position to assume the VP position.
"They were in the Joint Military Command in1972 and they were there during the formation of Zipa (Zimbabwe Integrated People's Army," said Mlala.
He also poured cold water on sentiments by some in the party that Mphoko - a career diplomat - was not in touch with Zanu-PF's grassroots membership.
"He worked for the Zanu-PF government and was a diplomat," said Mlala, who is on record as saying Moyo can be challenged for the vacant VP post. "After the Unity Accord of 1987, he was a member of the central committee but had to go and take up diplomatic postings, some as far as Russia, and would you have wanted him to continue in the central committee in such a situation? There is a waiver in the party for such people."
Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its elective congress in December and already there is jockeying for positions.
Source - Zim Mail
