News / National
Grace Mugabe -linked war vets targets ZNLWVA offices
09 Nov 2017 at 23:43hrs | Views
A RIVAL war veterans' group with links to the First Family has threatened to take over offices used by the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led executive of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) in Entumbane, Bulawayo, claiming the latter no longer had the mandate to represent ex-combatants as they were linked to ousted Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Patrick Nyaruwata faction had all along been housed at the Zanu-PF provincial offices at Davies Hall before their latest move to take over the offices occupied by Cephas Ncube's ZNLWVA provincial executive.
Kennius Ndebele, the secretary for history and cultural affairs in the national executive of the Nyaruwata-led grouping on Wednesday said they were pushing for the eviction of the Mutsvangwa executive because of their links to Mnangagwa.
"We believe the office should be in the hands of its rightful owners, us who support the President [Robert Mugabe] and the First Lady [Grace Mugabe]. We, however, are not going to use violence in trying to take control of the office, but we will use all avenues possible, even the courts.
"We want to write to Defence minister, Sydney Sekeramayi, who is also our secretary advising him of our bid to take control of that office. We want Sekeramayi to give us a go-ahead and a letter advising them to vacate office," Ndebele told Southern Eye after addressing war veterans, war collaborators and ex-detainees at Davies Hall.
Last month, the High Court ordered the faction to stop using ZNLWVA's name and interfering in the association's business.
Ncube yesterday urged Ndebele and his group to respect the High Court order.
"I have said before that members of the ZNLWVA are those that have membership cards. Do they have membership cards? They can discuss anything about the general welfare of war veterans, but not issues to do with the ZNLWVA," Ncube said when contacted for comment.
"That [Entumbane] stand belongs to the ZNLWVA and not individuals. We have been paying for that stand from the little that we get from the government. They have never contributed a cent to that stand. The High Court was clear that they must stay away from our business. We don't want lawless characters."
The Patrick Nyaruwata faction had all along been housed at the Zanu-PF provincial offices at Davies Hall before their latest move to take over the offices occupied by Cephas Ncube's ZNLWVA provincial executive.
Kennius Ndebele, the secretary for history and cultural affairs in the national executive of the Nyaruwata-led grouping on Wednesday said they were pushing for the eviction of the Mutsvangwa executive because of their links to Mnangagwa.
"We believe the office should be in the hands of its rightful owners, us who support the President [Robert Mugabe] and the First Lady [Grace Mugabe]. We, however, are not going to use violence in trying to take control of the office, but we will use all avenues possible, even the courts.
Last month, the High Court ordered the faction to stop using ZNLWVA's name and interfering in the association's business.
Ncube yesterday urged Ndebele and his group to respect the High Court order.
"I have said before that members of the ZNLWVA are those that have membership cards. Do they have membership cards? They can discuss anything about the general welfare of war veterans, but not issues to do with the ZNLWVA," Ncube said when contacted for comment.
"That [Entumbane] stand belongs to the ZNLWVA and not individuals. We have been paying for that stand from the little that we get from the government. They have never contributed a cent to that stand. The High Court was clear that they must stay away from our business. We don't want lawless characters."
Source - newsday
