News / National
Tshinga Dube, war vets face off
18 Sep 2017 at 06:12hrs | Views
THE Christopher Mutsvangwa-led Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) yesterday threatened to approach the High Court today seeking an interdict order to stop War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube from convening an elective congress tomorrow to choose a new leadership for the association.
The meeting comes after Defence minister and Zanu-PF secretary for war veterans Sydney Sekeramayi, last week called for the election of a new executive to replace Mutsvangwa's team.
But ZNLWVA spokesperson Douglas Mahiya vowed to resist all efforts to boot them out of office.
"I was with our lawyer and we are filling an interdict to stop the so-called meeting by the ministry at the instigation of Dr G [First Lady Grace Mugabe] and the young politburo member, Kudzi [Kudzanayi Chipanga]. Filing will be done Monday [today]," he said.
Mahiya accused Grace and Chipanga of pushing Dube to dissolve the Mutsvangwa-led executive in defiance of a High Court order recognising them as bonafide leaders of the former liberation fighters association.
"The Executive powers taken by the First Lady are those being implemented against us now. We are saying how can we be forced to go into an elective congress?" Mahiya said.
"They don't care if it is in line with the constitution. We condemn that G40 [Walter] Tapfumaneyi [war veterans permanent secretary] bootlicker who is trying to remove the Executive even in the face of a High Court order."
But Tapfumaneyi insisted that tomorrow's meeting would go ahead, adding that it was open to all war veterans who attended the Masvingo meeting of November 2014 which installed the Mutsvangwa executive into power, minus those who were expelled from the party.
"We, also as a ministry, have an executive mandate to organise and unify veterans of the liberation struggle so we have an interest when they are divided in any way or disorganised. It is entirely false that we are calling a congress," he said.
"The meeting that we have called for this Tuesday is a brainstorming session to map the way forward on how to proceed with the directive to remove those who were expelled from the party and leadership of war veterans to make sure the war veterans remain united and organised without shaping themselves into an opposition movement."
The meeting comes after Defence minister and Zanu-PF secretary for war veterans Sydney Sekeramayi, last week called for the election of a new executive to replace Mutsvangwa's team.
But ZNLWVA spokesperson Douglas Mahiya vowed to resist all efforts to boot them out of office.
"I was with our lawyer and we are filling an interdict to stop the so-called meeting by the ministry at the instigation of Dr G [First Lady Grace Mugabe] and the young politburo member, Kudzi [Kudzanayi Chipanga]. Filing will be done Monday [today]," he said.
"The Executive powers taken by the First Lady are those being implemented against us now. We are saying how can we be forced to go into an elective congress?" Mahiya said.
"They don't care if it is in line with the constitution. We condemn that G40 [Walter] Tapfumaneyi [war veterans permanent secretary] bootlicker who is trying to remove the Executive even in the face of a High Court order."
But Tapfumaneyi insisted that tomorrow's meeting would go ahead, adding that it was open to all war veterans who attended the Masvingo meeting of November 2014 which installed the Mutsvangwa executive into power, minus those who were expelled from the party.
"We, also as a ministry, have an executive mandate to organise and unify veterans of the liberation struggle so we have an interest when they are divided in any way or disorganised. It is entirely false that we are calling a congress," he said.
"The meeting that we have called for this Tuesday is a brainstorming session to map the way forward on how to proceed with the directive to remove those who were expelled from the party and leadership of war veterans to make sure the war veterans remain united and organised without shaping themselves into an opposition movement."
Source - newsday
