War veterans rebuke Mugabe

ZIMBABWE National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) secretary general, Victor Matemadanda, says November 18 should be declared a public holiday to celebrate the gains of Operation Restore Legacy, which ushered in a new political dispensation.

Addressing hundreds of war veterans, collaborators, widows of the war veterans and their children as well as Zanu-PF Matabeleland North members at the party's provincial offices here yesterday, Matemadanda said plans were underway to hold nationwide victory celebrations.

He rebuked former President Robert Mugabe for criticising the new dispensation saying he (Mugabe) was dreaming to think that his rule could be restored.

Matemadanda said:

"Mugabe will always do that because he thinks he is better than anyone else and represents the whole electorate who he thinks can vote for his wife. He is very old and we can forgive him for his age."

He said Mugabe was a ruler who just like [Rhodesian Prime Minister] Ian Smith "lived in a mansion and made decisions without consulting and punished people for mistakes" while President Mnangagwa is a team player who is always with the people and makes informed decisions.

He implored Zanu-PF not to make similar mistakes.

Matemadanda, who is also secretary for war veterans in the Zanu-PF Politburo said Operation Restore Legacy would not have been a success if Zimbabweans had not been united for a national cause.

"Some people are calling for a return of Mugabe alleging he loved them better than the way President Mnangagwa does but I want to say it's foolish to think that Mugabe will come back to rule, that's just a show of desperation from comrades who don't have orientation," said Matemadanda.

"When we as the war veterans association made a resolution to remove Mugabe, the same was adopted by Zanu-PF. We knew we could be killed for saying all the Grace Mugabe nonsense but would we have been paid for our lives? NO. We were sacrificing ourselves because of the orientation we had.

"We fought for this legacy and we want to thank Zimbabweans from across the political and racial divide for supporting this national cause. We propose that 18 November be declared a national purpose day to thank people of Zimbabwe who joined in the march in saying Mugabe must go regardless of race, political affiliation and tribe."

Matemadanda said he and "some generals" who he didn't name, would have been killed by elements from the G40 cabal that had captured Mugabe through his wife, if people had not joined in the call for him to go. He added that the new political dispensation was grateful to the people of Zimbabwe for also facilitating President Mnangagwa's return from exile after his brief expulsion from Zanu-PF.

"As the SG for the war veterans association, I will invite all Zimbabweans to a celebration party where no slogans will be chanted to thank people for the job they did. It's the people of Zimbabwe who also facilitated the return of the President from exile," said Matemadanda.

He said some people were being paid to discredit the new political dispensation hence the war veterans association was given the mandate to spearhead the campaign for President Mnangagwa and the party's landslide victory in the upcoming elections.

Matemadanda said Zanu-PF was weak without war veterans, which is why it lost the Norton seat to an independent candidate, Mr Themba Mliswa.

He added that his visit to the province was  aimed at deploying the ex-combatants into the party's grassroots to mobilise members as well as vie for positions.

"I have come for deployment and you should go back and explain to the people the reason why we say this Zanu-PF party is King Lobengula and Mbuya Nehanda's party.

"When we talk of restoring legacy we are talking about restoring the African respect that was stolen by colonisers," he added.