Margaret Dongo lashes timid war vets, accuse Mugabe of monopolizing the Heroes Acre

Margaret Dongo has said that war veterans and other liberation war heroes have a pervasive fear of President Robert Mugabe, giving the aging leader free reign to misrule both Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe.

Dongo said Zanu-PF had now demonstrated that real heroes were not an issue and could be "forgotten" at the whims of one man and a few of his associates.

Dongo was speaking in the wake of the death of two war veterans, Freedom Nyamubaya and Stephen Hurungudo.

She accused Mugabe and Zanu-PF of monopolizing the Heroes Acre and she implored the need to set up an independent board that should determine the criteria of bestowing hero status.

She also pointed out to the "absurdity" of the situation where in Mugabe's absence there was often a decision-making vacuum as acting presidents could not make critical decisions.