News / National
Mwonzora tells war vets not stick their noses into MDC business
06 Mar 2019 at 17:17hrs | Views
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said that war veterans should not stick their noses into his party's business affairs.
War veterans have been making a lot of noise in recent days as the MDC elective Congress draws near.
They have made it clear that they do not now want party president Nelson Chamisa to continue at the helm.
War vets chief recently scolded 'talkative young man' Chamisa for misdirecting energies.
"The young man is too green. A lot of talent, a lot of energy but misdirecting his energies. That's the problem with him," Matemadanda said of the 41-year-old politician.
"He is very charismatic and he has got a lot of energy and after this (30 July election), I phoned him and said ‘young man, let's meet and talk' but he doesn't keep appointments."
Matemadanda, who is also defence and war veterans deputy minister, said Chamisa must learn from his predecessor, the late Morgan Tsvangirai whom he said put the country first through agreeing to work with former President Robert Mugabe under the now defunct unity government.
"Tsvangirai worked under harsh conditions during former President Robert Mugabe's despotic reign and even during elections," said the war veterans chief.
"But he had a nationalist's heart. He accepted to work with a dictator Mugabe and contributed positively to the development of the country and these are the kind of people of maturity that we want.
"This is the kind of leadership that we want; to say ‘yes I have been incarcerated, I have been beaten and this has happened on me, but for the people of Zimbabwe'."
Matemadanda said more "mature" leaders within MDC were letting Chamisa down by allegedly not giving him proper guidance.
Matemadanda, whose war veterans association has been pushing for the raising of the presidential age entry point to 52 years, said Chamisa had a good start to his tenure as MDC leader but was being fooled by his over two million people who voted for him in the last election.
"He had shown being quite good starting with 2.2 million voting for MDC. So he needs the right and older people to guide him.
"But at the end also, there is no benefit in talking to him if he doesn't recognise our Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe, not as Zanu-PF because he is a product of democratic, orderly and peacefully elections."
The war veterans and thier party should have nothing to do with the MDC congress. It is an internal affair which will be decided only by the MDC members themselves.
— Douglas Mwonzora (@DMwonzora) March 6, 2019
War veterans have been making a lot of noise in recent days as the MDC elective Congress draws near.
They have made it clear that they do not now want party president Nelson Chamisa to continue at the helm.
War vets chief recently scolded 'talkative young man' Chamisa for misdirecting energies.
"The young man is too green. A lot of talent, a lot of energy but misdirecting his energies. That's the problem with him," Matemadanda said of the 41-year-old politician.
"He is very charismatic and he has got a lot of energy and after this (30 July election), I phoned him and said ‘young man, let's meet and talk' but he doesn't keep appointments."
Matemadanda, who is also defence and war veterans deputy minister, said Chamisa must learn from his predecessor, the late Morgan Tsvangirai whom he said put the country first through agreeing to work with former President Robert Mugabe under the now defunct unity government.
"But he had a nationalist's heart. He accepted to work with a dictator Mugabe and contributed positively to the development of the country and these are the kind of people of maturity that we want.
"This is the kind of leadership that we want; to say ‘yes I have been incarcerated, I have been beaten and this has happened on me, but for the people of Zimbabwe'."
Matemadanda said more "mature" leaders within MDC were letting Chamisa down by allegedly not giving him proper guidance.
Matemadanda, whose war veterans association has been pushing for the raising of the presidential age entry point to 52 years, said Chamisa had a good start to his tenure as MDC leader but was being fooled by his over two million people who voted for him in the last election.
"He had shown being quite good starting with 2.2 million voting for MDC. So he needs the right and older people to guide him.
"But at the end also, there is no benefit in talking to him if he doesn't recognise our Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe, not as Zanu-PF because he is a product of democratic, orderly and peacefully elections."
Source - additional reporting from newzimbabwe
