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Mnangagwa's allies are 'daydreaming'
05 Jun 2016 at 21:14hrs | Views
Generation 40 (G40)-aligned war veterans have said Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's allies are "daydreaming" about the Midlands godfather succeeding President Robert Mugabe.
Addressing a news conference in Harare yesterday, Manicaland Provincial minister Mandi Chimene said war veterans throughout the country together with other Zimbabweans would strongly resist any attempts to impose Mnangagwa as Mugabe's successor.
"Don't threaten Zimbabweans with bloodshed because we already shed our blood for this country and no other blood will be spilled unless it is your own blood," Chimene said referring to statements recently attributed to chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), Christopher Mutsvangwa.
The Mutsvangwa-led war veterans have endorsed Mnangagwa as their preferred choice to take over from 92-year-old Mugabe.
But Chimene and her faction of former freedom fighters distanced themselves from the endorsement saying Mugabe was only in his "first" presidential term under the new Constitution and that they expected him to complete his two terms.
She blamed Mnangagwa for keeping quiet while "rogue" elements were campaigning for him.
"That is a cause for concern because we are beginning to doubt if he is not the one sending them to say such rubbish.
"If he is not involved, why doesn't he come out in the open to refute the claims that he wants to stampede the president from power? He should be clear so that we know who the enemy really is.
"That is subversion and it is treasonous. The rest of the war veterans disassociate themselves from such statements and we are prepared to die in defence of the president. I am particularly ready to put my head on the block for that cause," she said.
Another war veteran George Mlala said those who say Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko deserted the war had played "peripheral roles that they were not visible and must therefore let those who were visible and commanded the war speak."
"There are some among us who go about saying we have endorsed so and so. Those who are calling for school treasonous moves are lunatics or if they are not, they need their sobriety checked, that is if they are genuine war veterans in the first place," Mlala said.
He accused Mnangagwa and his allies of harbouring "misguided ambitions" which led them to forgetting the liberation war principle that "politics leads the gun".
"They think they are super war veterans who have the misguided thinking that they can decide everything for Zimbabweans and one wonders whether during the war they were using seven guns each.
"The people who really fought the war are quiet and you will never hear them make noise because they respect the will of the people."
Addressing a news conference in Harare yesterday, Manicaland Provincial minister Mandi Chimene said war veterans throughout the country together with other Zimbabweans would strongly resist any attempts to impose Mnangagwa as Mugabe's successor.
"Don't threaten Zimbabweans with bloodshed because we already shed our blood for this country and no other blood will be spilled unless it is your own blood," Chimene said referring to statements recently attributed to chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), Christopher Mutsvangwa.
The Mutsvangwa-led war veterans have endorsed Mnangagwa as their preferred choice to take over from 92-year-old Mugabe.
But Chimene and her faction of former freedom fighters distanced themselves from the endorsement saying Mugabe was only in his "first" presidential term under the new Constitution and that they expected him to complete his two terms.
She blamed Mnangagwa for keeping quiet while "rogue" elements were campaigning for him.
"That is a cause for concern because we are beginning to doubt if he is not the one sending them to say such rubbish.
"If he is not involved, why doesn't he come out in the open to refute the claims that he wants to stampede the president from power? He should be clear so that we know who the enemy really is.
"That is subversion and it is treasonous. The rest of the war veterans disassociate themselves from such statements and we are prepared to die in defence of the president. I am particularly ready to put my head on the block for that cause," she said.
Another war veteran George Mlala said those who say Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko deserted the war had played "peripheral roles that they were not visible and must therefore let those who were visible and commanded the war speak."
"There are some among us who go about saying we have endorsed so and so. Those who are calling for school treasonous moves are lunatics or if they are not, they need their sobriety checked, that is if they are genuine war veterans in the first place," Mlala said.
He accused Mnangagwa and his allies of harbouring "misguided ambitions" which led them to forgetting the liberation war principle that "politics leads the gun".
"They think they are super war veterans who have the misguided thinking that they can decide everything for Zimbabweans and one wonders whether during the war they were using seven guns each.
"The people who really fought the war are quiet and you will never hear them make noise because they respect the will of the people."
Source - dailynews
