News / National
War vets plot Lake Chivero land invasions
28 Nov 2021 at 08:01hrs | Views
A group of war veterans is angling for the takeover of properties owned by white businesspeople around the Lake Chivero Recreational Park in Harare accusing them of disrespecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In 2004 and 2010, the Zanu-PF storm troopers invaded the recreational park, and yesterday they warned "another 2010" is coming.
Over 20 tourism facilities were invaded in 2010 by Zanu-PF activists wearing party regalia and claiming to be war veterans, a development that attracted global condemnation.
Reasons given for the latest takeover bid are that some of the property owners are racist because they refuse to hoist the country's flag on their premises or to display Mnangagwa's portrait.
"Gone are the days, 2010 is coming. Watch the space," Michael Gomo, a Zanu-PF activist who also claims to be a war veteran warned in the Lake Chivero Whatsapp group platform.
Gomo told The Standard yesterday that there was no turning back on their threats.
"We took over some of these facilities after 2010 and it is coming back because we want to fight their actions," Gomo said.
"We will do this our way as Zimbabweans and we will continue to fight them.
"We started fighting them in 2004 and we will continue until we win since we are now seeing changes.
"There are some, who remain there who think they own the Lake. They do not even hoist the president's flag and that of the country, not even a picture of the president in his facility, nothing."
Gomo vowed to fight on accusing those making complaints of using "Rhodesian laws."
The war veterans say they are also happy about property owners who complain of noise pollution as people hold events around the lake.
"Is it noise when the people are celebrating in their own country? You can't tell me about cutting down trees from other facilities. What does that have to do with what is happening here?," Gomo said.
"They cannot control us and we cannot use the (former Rhodesian prime minister Ian) Smith laws and we say no to that."
"They want to control us with Harare laws yet we are in Zvimba. I told them we are coming for them and we will toyi-toyi at their facilities."
Land invasions have been on the rise under Mnangagwa regime with war veterans and Zanu-PF activists forcefully taking over farms, mines among other facilities.
War veterans invaded the facilities in 2010 when former vice president Joice Mujuru was acting president forcing protests in Spain where then Tourism minister Walter Mzembi was marketing the country as a safe tourism destination.
In 2004 and 2010, the Zanu-PF storm troopers invaded the recreational park, and yesterday they warned "another 2010" is coming.
Over 20 tourism facilities were invaded in 2010 by Zanu-PF activists wearing party regalia and claiming to be war veterans, a development that attracted global condemnation.
Reasons given for the latest takeover bid are that some of the property owners are racist because they refuse to hoist the country's flag on their premises or to display Mnangagwa's portrait.
"Gone are the days, 2010 is coming. Watch the space," Michael Gomo, a Zanu-PF activist who also claims to be a war veteran warned in the Lake Chivero Whatsapp group platform.
Gomo told The Standard yesterday that there was no turning back on their threats.
"We took over some of these facilities after 2010 and it is coming back because we want to fight their actions," Gomo said.
"We will do this our way as Zimbabweans and we will continue to fight them.
"There are some, who remain there who think they own the Lake. They do not even hoist the president's flag and that of the country, not even a picture of the president in his facility, nothing."
Gomo vowed to fight on accusing those making complaints of using "Rhodesian laws."
The war veterans say they are also happy about property owners who complain of noise pollution as people hold events around the lake.
"Is it noise when the people are celebrating in their own country? You can't tell me about cutting down trees from other facilities. What does that have to do with what is happening here?," Gomo said.
"They cannot control us and we cannot use the (former Rhodesian prime minister Ian) Smith laws and we say no to that."
"They want to control us with Harare laws yet we are in Zvimba. I told them we are coming for them and we will toyi-toyi at their facilities."
Land invasions have been on the rise under Mnangagwa regime with war veterans and Zanu-PF activists forcefully taking over farms, mines among other facilities.
War veterans invaded the facilities in 2010 when former vice president Joice Mujuru was acting president forcing protests in Spain where then Tourism minister Walter Mzembi was marketing the country as a safe tourism destination.
Source - The Standard
