War vets receive cars

Zanu-PF yesterday handed over vehicles to provincial chairpersons of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) in fulfilment of the party's commitment to improving their welfare.

The vehicles were given to the chairpersons by Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu at the party headquarters in Harare.

Mpofu, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, said the war veterans should never think they were being ignored as the party was making efforts to secure their vehicles.

"Never ever think you will be ignored because of your role, you are an affiliate of the party," he said.

"Affiliate doesn't mean you are a lesser component of the party. You are the main component of the party when it comes to the liberation of this country.

"The policies of this country and the commitment that you made during the struggle to bring this country to where it is, so we were trying to mobilise some resources to secure vehicles for you."

Mpofu appealed to the war veterans to keep the brand markings on the vehicles and that they should not shy away from their identity, Zanu-PF.

"But all these vehicles are branded, I understand some comrades thought these brand-ing will compromise their work, no, Zanu-PF is in power, Zanu-PF is Government," he said.

"The Government that is there is a Zanu-PF Government, so we should not shy away from our identity. We are appealing to you to keep those brands there. I have just been speaking to HE (President Mnangagwa) now about that.

"He said, no, look here, those brands have to be there because the property belongs to the party and if we are not happy with those brands, I think the cars should be brought back so that we decide on what type of vehicle we can give you which does not associate you with the party, Zanu-PF."

Mpofu said the vehicles were meant to make it easy for the war veterans chairpersons to mobilise people in their respective provinces. He urged them not to abuse the vehicles.

"So, comrades these are your vehicles and they are meant to make it easy for you to mobilise people in your respective areas, but they should not be abused on private business because people would be seeing that it is a party vehicle," said Mpofu.

"If you start abusing it, doing things that people will see, that  is against the party, we should avoid that. Let's respect this property, look after it and what we do in the party is that after five years you may own it, it will be yours.

"So if you abuse it, we will take it away from you. So, we don't want to do that. Keep it as if it's yours because it will be yours eventually."

Mpofu appealed to the war veterans to remain disciplined and united as an association. He said the chairpersons had a role to play in uniting people in their provinces, especially some war veterans who had formed some splinter groups.

"You chairpersons should unite people in your provinces," he said. "Bring every war veteran to you because this is the only association that is registered in the party. There are others who are trying to form some reactionary splinter groups, please bring them back to the fold.

The proper war veterans association is this one." Mpofu said so far the party had distributed more than 40o vehicles that it had purchased for members. He said whatever President Mnangagwa had promised, it will be fulfilled and delivered.

ZNLWVA spokesperson Douglas Mahiya assured Mpofu that the vehicles would be put to good use. ZNLWVA chairperson for Matebeleland North province Sonny Key Mg uni said: "We are excited about what happened today. We thought we had been left out. We have a caring father in the form of His Excellency ED Mnangagwa."