Traditional leaders, war vets 'forge' partnership to sanitize Zanu PF

TRADITIONAL leaders and War vets have reportedly forged a partnership in a bid to bring sanity to the ruling party which has in the past few months been characterised by internal infighting which has degenerated into fist fights and expulsion of its senior officials from party positions.

President of the Chiefs' Council of Zimbabwe Chief Fortune Charumbira revealed that the country's traditional leaders and war vets have forged a ‘coalition' during the just ended war vets Congress in a bid to end Zanu PF's madness.  

He said Zanu-PF was a formidable party because of the relationship it enjoyed with traditional leaders and war veterans.

Chief Charumbira urged the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association executive to work closely with traditional leaders to cleanse and bring sanity in Zanu-PF.

"Imi vaMutsvangwa neexecutive yenyu ngatibatanei timboruka nyika ino," he said.

"The war veterans' wedding with chiefs is permanent, never to be destroyed. That link, some people do not like it. Opposition parties do not fear Zanu-PF, they fear chiefs and war veterans. They do not win because of traditional leaders and war veterans."

Chief Charumbira said it was Zanu-PF through internal fights that were letting traditional leaders and war veterans down.

"Of the three pillars - Zanu-PF, war veterans and traditional leaders, Zanu-PF is the problem. They fight for positions and have become counter revolutionaries," he said.

Chief Charumbira said leaders must learn to be elected by people and should desist from using hook and crook to land positions.

He challenged Government to attend to the welfare of war veterans some of whom he said were dying in abject poverty.