War vets push for dissolution of Zanu-PF Mashonaland West executive

WAR veterans in Mashonaland Central province are up in arms with the Zanu PF provincial executive for reportedly imposing the party's commissar (PC), among other accusations, resulting in parallel structures emerging ahead of a looming restructuring exercise.

They accused the Kazembe Kazembe-led executive of creating an acrimonious working environment and provincial minister Monica Mavhunga of causing rifts in the party.

Last month, the war veterans wrote to Mavhunga, copied to Defence and War Veterans minister Oppah Muchinguri and the Office of the President.

Provincial deputy chairman Lovemore Hodza yesterday said they had a meeting in which they nominated General Mutasa to succeed Mavhunga as provincial commissar, but the Zanu PF leadership imposed its own candidate.

The war veterans angrily reacted to the move yesterday, threatening to approach President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the issue as they feel sidelined.

"No one is happy about this issue. There is a problem in the provincial executive of the party which is trying to put someone who we didn't choose so that they secure support at the upcoming restructuring. We had said the PC must come from our executive, we want someone who we nominated and that is General Mutasa."

Hodza accused the provincial executive committee of cherry-picking their preferred candidate, against the Zanu PF policy.

"We will ask the provincial leadership to correct what they did so that we will be able to find each other and work together in harmony. We want to discuss this issue, but if they fail to do that, then we will take the matter forward," Hodza said.

In their previous petition, war veterans said they were worried by the displacement of their members at Selby and Danbury farms to pave way for the new Parliament building.

They accused Mavhunga of parcelling out land to Kazembe at Collinwood Farm which falls under the war veterans' quota, making the minister a multiple farm owner.

The war veterans also complained that Mavhunga re-allocated land on other farms occupied by war veterans to, among others, Marjory Bwawa, who is fighting some two named legislators on one of the farms.

Sources said the war veterans wanted the Zanu PF provincial executive dissolved in the same manner Harare and Bulawayo executives were dissolved.

"There are two clearly defined factions in the province, one led by Kazembe and Mavhunga and war veterans on the other. If there is no positive outcome, we will approach the President because we previously copied him in our petition," the source said.

Mavhunga refused to comment yesterday, referring all questions to Kazembe who was however, not reachable.