Mnangagwa orders Zanu-PF structures to incorporate war vets

THE ruling party Zanu-PF has directed provincial structures to implement a 2017 Extra-Ordinary Congress resolution to incorporate war veterans as either their chairperson or vice chairpersons.

The resolution provides that when the provincial chairmanship is held by someone who is not a veteran of the liberation struggle, he or she, would be deputised by a war veteran.

In a circular addressed to all provincial chairpersons and read during the Mashonaland West provincial war veterans' indaba held in Kadoma recently, Zanu-PF national secretary for the commissariat Engelbert Rugeje said the resolution had been endorsed by the Central Committee.

The Central Committee is Zanu-PF's highest decision-making body outside Congress.

"You will recall that the December 2017 Zanu-PF Extra-Ordinary Congress endorsed a resolution on the elevation of veterans of the liberation struggle both in the party and Government.

"Pursuant to this resolution, you are directed by way of this circular to ensure that war veterans are incorporated into the main wing party structures from cell to provincial level in view of the restructuring exercise. "If the chairman is a non-war veteran then the deputy should be a war veteran or vice versa," the circular read.

Rugeje said preference should also be given to war veterans for posts of commissariat and secretary for security from cell level up to provincial level.

"The posts of political commissariat and deputy commissariat from cell level to provincial level should be preferably be filled by war veterans. "The posts of secretary and deputy secretary for security from cell level to provincial should also preferably be filled with war veterans," he said.

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association provincial chairperson Cornelius Muoni said while war veterans were grateful for the resolution, they were anticipating a quota system for war veterans. He, however, appealed to the war veterans to be patient with the Zanu-PF First Secretary and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

"Let us not lose heart, be patient with President Mnangagwa.

"We don't want to return to the old days of former president Robert Mugabe who would just make a list of unfulfilled promises.

"Our listening President is trying to evade that bracket of lying, that is why he takes his time and prefers to meet us when he has the solutions," he said.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka and Zanu-PF provincial secretary for finance urged the war veterans to be organised. She urged the war veterans to avoid back-biting among their rank and file.

"Do not be afraid to take to task Government officials and summon them on issues affecting your welfare.

"As Ministers we are your servants. "Fortunately, your Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri is the Zanu-PF national chairperson. "Engage and re-engage is the new dispensation's mantra unlike the old dispensation which relied on parallel structures and confusion." She said the provincial structures strive on following procedure through unity.

"President Mnangagwa is spearheading the country's engagement across the globe, but here in Zimbabwe we also need to engage and re-engage," she said. She appealed to the freedom fighters to campaign for the ruling party in a council by-election for Kadoma set for this weekend.