Mugabe threatens to crush war vets

President Robert Mugabe yesterday threw down the gauntlet and told war veterans they have no legal or moral standing to dictate who should succeed him.

Mugabe threatened punitive action against the war veterans' top leadership, which has thrown their lot with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and has lately been pushing the veteran politician to name a successor.

In an emotionally-charged speech, the 92-year-old leader described war veterans as "dissidents" for threatening bloodshed should Mnangagwa fail to land the country's top post.

Mugabe said war veterans should stick to their role of lobbying for the welfare of the former fighters and stop trying to direct the party's succession plan.