Matemadanda's war vets, MDC-T join hands

The Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC has accepted the invitation by war veterans to join hands and stop what they called the creation of a dynasty by President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace.

Reacting to Grace's publicly expressed statements that the increasingly-frail Mugabe should anoint a successor during a Zanu-PF women's league meeting last week - war veterans said the MDC and other parties must join them to protect democracy.

And gladly the MDC, through its spokesperson Obert Gutu, said it is willing to work with the veterans of the liberation struggle so as to stop Mugabe.

"As a social democratic political party, the MDC will never, ever condone the creation of a Mugabe political dynasty or any other family dynasty for that matter.

"As a sovereign republic, Zimbabwe should be governed by a legitimate and responsible administration that is elected by the people in free and fair elections, in accordance with the dictates of our national Constitution.

"In this respect, therefore, we are in full agreement with the statement that was issued by the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) in which they are calling for the arrest of Grace Mugabe for telling Mugabe to appoint a successor.

"Not too long ago, some very senior leaders of the ZNLWVA were arrested for making the exact utterances as those made by Grace," MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said in a statement.

This is despite the fact that Grace only said her husband should name a successor but did not pitch her name in the succession ring and neither did she name anyone.

However, her statements have thrown the Team Lacoste faction in Zanu-PF into confusion as the camp now speculates that Mugabe is about to name a successor who is not their chosen candidate Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

On Friday, angry war veterans mauled Grace and even called for her arrest as they invoked the ideals which drove many of their generation to join the liberation war, a quest for democracy.

Briefing journalists at a press conference Friday last week, ZNLWVA secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said the time has now come for Zimbabweans, "whether from the MDC or Zanu-PF to stand up against one family" which he alleged is hellbent on foisting a monarchy on long-suffering Zimbabwe.

And Gutu could not agree more with the ex-combatants who have in the past shown allegiance to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his mooted presidential ambitions.

"Zimbabwe is a sovereign republic and not a monarchy. Recent remarks by Grace Mugabe to the effect that  . . . Mugabe should appoint or nominate his successor seem to suggest that a Mugabe dynasty must be created.

"Whilst the MDC is not concerned about the internal squabbling and vicious factional fights within the crumbling

Zanu-PF regime, we have got every reason to get worried and seriously concerned when attempts are being openly made to create a Mugabe dynasty," said Gutu.

"We will not tolerate the notion that Robert Mugabe, somehow, has got a God-given and sacred role to appoint whoever is going to be the next president of Zimbabwe.

"Indeed, Zimbabwe is not Robert Mugabe and Robert Mugabe is not Zimbabwe," said Gutu.