Mugabe pledge drastic action, painful on rebels

President Robert Mugabe has vowed to take drastic, painful action on authors of a controversial "treasonous" war veterans letter.

He said the punishment would be similar to that meted out to sellouts during the struggle.

However, he said they won't be killed.

Thousands  of war veterans are gathered at the headquarters of the ruling ZANU-PF party in the capital, Harare, to show support for the 92-year-old Mugabe, who has faced growing dissent in recent weeks.

"The letter they wrote is now being used by our enemies Britain to say regime change has finally come," he said.

"They (Britain) are not aware that Zanu PF cannot be destroyed by a mere paper.

"The West was trilled by the letter" he said in a live broadcast on ZTV.

He said thorough investigations are in  full swing to sniff out the culprits.

"Top party members are investigating the source of the letter and those who distributed it.

"If found they will be punished and the party punishment is painfull, you know.

"We did that in the struggle but we did not kill them".

War veterans met last week and issued a damning communiqué describing Mugabe as "a genocidal, manipulative and divisive leader, who has singlehandedly benefited from the liberation war effort".

The communiqué has rattled the very foundations of Mugabe's administration, which has responded with desperate rebuttals, as well as denials that the former freedom fighters would never ever reject the veteran 92-year-old former guerilla leader.

The war veterans' hard-hitting communiqué issued last week also accused Mugabe of being the G40 godfather.

Mugabe urged war veterans to be vigilant and guard against being used by the British and French.