News / National
Police, war vets clash
30 Oct 2013 at 08:43hrs | Views
AT LEAST 100 war veterans yesterday fought running battles with anti-riot police after staging a demonstration at Liquenda House in Harare, demanding money to pay for their children's school fees.
The angry war veterans besieged Liquenda House where the association has offices just before midday and started singing revolutionary songs.
Police arrived in a green Land Rover Defender truck and ran after the group of elderly men and women, beating some of them in the process.
An elderly woman, who claimed to be the daughter of a chief, would have none of it and started yelling insults and obscenities at the young police officers, accusing them of disrespecting "those who liberated them".
The woman, clad in apostolic church regalia, accused the police of being corrupt and Zanu-PF of lying that the MDC-T was responsible for the war veterans' woes.
"Now you want to beat us up, why? You are corrupt and stop abusing our money and lying to us. If you want, you can beat me and you will see what I will do. I was trained to fight," the woman said.
But the officers were not deterred as they ran after some war veterans, who, however, regrouped and started singing liberation war songs at Africa Unity Square.
"You are now alone in government without the MDC, what is your excuse now?" queried a man who could not give his name, but said he was leader of the group.
However, Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said he was not aware of the demonstrating war veterans and, therefore, could not comment.
"I don't know that there were war veterans, who were demonstrating and cannot comment on that," Gumbo said.
After the war veterans had regrouped at Africa Unity Square, they started shouting at the youthful groups of police officers, threatening to retaliate if they beat any one of them.
"You are thieves. Leave us alone. You should respect us because we fought for this country. Who gave you the order to come and beat us up here? Who gave you that order?" one of the war veterans wearing a Zanu-PF cap said.
The officers then left without further action.
Efforts to get comment from the police were fruitless.
During the tenure of the inclusive government, the war veterans frequented former Finance minister Tendai Biti's offices demonstrating over their welfare.
The angry war veterans besieged Liquenda House where the association has offices just before midday and started singing revolutionary songs.
Police arrived in a green Land Rover Defender truck and ran after the group of elderly men and women, beating some of them in the process.
An elderly woman, who claimed to be the daughter of a chief, would have none of it and started yelling insults and obscenities at the young police officers, accusing them of disrespecting "those who liberated them".
The woman, clad in apostolic church regalia, accused the police of being corrupt and Zanu-PF of lying that the MDC-T was responsible for the war veterans' woes.
"Now you want to beat us up, why? You are corrupt and stop abusing our money and lying to us. If you want, you can beat me and you will see what I will do. I was trained to fight," the woman said.
But the officers were not deterred as they ran after some war veterans, who, however, regrouped and started singing liberation war songs at Africa Unity Square.
"You are now alone in government without the MDC, what is your excuse now?" queried a man who could not give his name, but said he was leader of the group.
"I don't know that there were war veterans, who were demonstrating and cannot comment on that," Gumbo said.
After the war veterans had regrouped at Africa Unity Square, they started shouting at the youthful groups of police officers, threatening to retaliate if they beat any one of them.
"You are thieves. Leave us alone. You should respect us because we fought for this country. Who gave you the order to come and beat us up here? Who gave you that order?" one of the war veterans wearing a Zanu-PF cap said.
The officers then left without further action.
Efforts to get comment from the police were fruitless.
During the tenure of the inclusive government, the war veterans frequented former Finance minister Tendai Biti's offices demonstrating over their welfare.
Source - newsday
