Mnangagwa speaks on War vets

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has described as "nonsensical" calls by some war veterans for President Mugabe to resign, as the State security aparatus knuckles down in its probe to find out who was behind the "traitorous" communique issued last week in the name of liberation fighters.

In an interview with Sunday Mail on Saturday, Mnangagwa also made it clear he had nothing to do with the clique of rogue war veterans who are trying to push President Mugabe out of office and replace him with Mnangagwa at both ruling party and Government level.

Last Thursday, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association commissar Francis Nhando told journalists at the end of an executive meeting in Harare that they wanted President Mugabe to resign.

However, senior members of the association have dissociated themselves from the statement, as have other top commanders of the Second Chimurenga; while the Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees Ministry has reaffirmed veterans' loyalty to the President.

Zanu-PF has also made it clear that it will not tolerate such dissent. The ZNLWVA is an affiliate of the ruling party. And yesterday Mnangagwa weighed in saying all war veterans should remain loyal to their Commander-in-Chief, President Mugabe.

"I watched ZBCtv (on Friday and learnt) that they made a statement, but I haven't read it. If they said the President must resign, then that is nonsensical. If they are true war veterans, the President is their Commander-in-Chief and they must be loyal and committed.

"I don't think those who say such things are loyal or genuine war veterans. They must be loyal," the said.

In recent months, some war veterans have claimed they are campaigning for Mnangagwa to assume the highest office in the land. Mnangagwa trashed such claims saying: "That's nonsense, absolute nonsense."