News / National
War vets to confront Mugabe soon
14 Mar 2016 at 06:20hrs | Views
War veterans have vowed to confront President Robert Mugabe to whip into line rogue G40 leaders and force him to restore "Zanu-PF's lost ideology".
The G40 is a grouping of Zanu-PF Young Turks believed to be fronted by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association secretary–general Victor Matemadanda said his executive had launched nationwide mass mobilisation rallies to sensitise members on the gravity of the matter before their no-holds-barred meeting with Mugabe "anytime soon".
"The party has been hijacked and that is what we want to tell our patron that we feel the party has lost it. We hope he will listen to us. But at the moment, we are busy mobilising and bringing back in the association every war veteran outside there who could have been forced out by this ill-treatment taking place in our party," Matemadanda said.
War veterans, who have been the vanguard of the governing party since the liberation struggle and had violently campaigned for its victory in past elections, have lately been on the receiving end after being hounded by the G40 faction whose members reportedly now dominate the politburo.
"As far as we are concerned, the politburo should be the secretariat of the central committee, but has been reduced to become a disciplinary committee. More time is being spent on trivial issues while the people are suffering.
"The welfare of the war veterans has been neglected, but we will not sit down and watch. As freedom fighters, this is not what we fought for. We will force the party to do the right thing and those who are causing chaos in the party today will go," Matemadanda said.
"We are currently going around the country mobilising our membership and uniting the war veterans so that we can approach our patron who happens to the leader of Zanu-PF and tell him what we think about this party.
"There is discontent within the war veterans. War veterans feel that the ethos and ideals of the struggle have been missed along the way."
Zanu-PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo challenged Matemadanda to prove that the party had been hijacked.
"He (Matemadanda) should explain who has hijacked the party and what he means as losing the track.
"I can't comment on his thoughts, it is his right to think like that as long as he has evidence to back up his statements," Khaya Moyo said.
The G40 is a grouping of Zanu-PF Young Turks believed to be fronted by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association secretary–general Victor Matemadanda said his executive had launched nationwide mass mobilisation rallies to sensitise members on the gravity of the matter before their no-holds-barred meeting with Mugabe "anytime soon".
"The party has been hijacked and that is what we want to tell our patron that we feel the party has lost it. We hope he will listen to us. But at the moment, we are busy mobilising and bringing back in the association every war veteran outside there who could have been forced out by this ill-treatment taking place in our party," Matemadanda said.
War veterans, who have been the vanguard of the governing party since the liberation struggle and had violently campaigned for its victory in past elections, have lately been on the receiving end after being hounded by the G40 faction whose members reportedly now dominate the politburo.
"As far as we are concerned, the politburo should be the secretariat of the central committee, but has been reduced to become a disciplinary committee. More time is being spent on trivial issues while the people are suffering.
"The welfare of the war veterans has been neglected, but we will not sit down and watch. As freedom fighters, this is not what we fought for. We will force the party to do the right thing and those who are causing chaos in the party today will go," Matemadanda said.
"We are currently going around the country mobilising our membership and uniting the war veterans so that we can approach our patron who happens to the leader of Zanu-PF and tell him what we think about this party.
"There is discontent within the war veterans. War veterans feel that the ethos and ideals of the struggle have been missed along the way."
Zanu-PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo challenged Matemadanda to prove that the party had been hijacked.
"He (Matemadanda) should explain who has hijacked the party and what he means as losing the track.
"I can't comment on his thoughts, it is his right to think like that as long as he has evidence to back up his statements," Khaya Moyo said.
Source - newsday
