News / National
Zipra war vets engage police over regalia
15 Jul 2022 at 04:09hrs | Views
ZIPRA war veterans are seeking an audience with the police to help prevent possible future standoffs over their yellow regalia.
The development comes a fortnight after police clashed with the war veterans during a memorial event of the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.
Police reportedly questioned the yellow regalia they were putting on.
Yellow colour is also used by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa.
The ex-fighters were allowed to proceed with their event after heated engagement with senior police officers over the yellow regalia. Zipra war veterans' spokesperson Buster Magwizi yesterday told Southern Eye that he had been tasked by his association members to engage police over the issue.
"They told us that the commemorations were politically-motivated due to our yellow T-shirts. This was an embarrassment to us. We are not politicians, but simply war veterans of this country; yellow is just a colour that is there on our Zimbabwean flag. So I have been asked by his members to engage the police, particularly the Dispol," Magwizi said.
"Police should not be used as political stooges of Zanu-PF. I wonder if police would do the same for those in Zanu-PF putting on the yellow colour, and if they do not, then we can say that our police are left-handed instead of being right-handed,'' he said.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abedinico Ncube referred Southern Eye to national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said he was not aware of the incident.
The development comes a fortnight after police clashed with the war veterans during a memorial event of the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.
Police reportedly questioned the yellow regalia they were putting on.
Yellow colour is also used by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa.
"They told us that the commemorations were politically-motivated due to our yellow T-shirts. This was an embarrassment to us. We are not politicians, but simply war veterans of this country; yellow is just a colour that is there on our Zimbabwean flag. So I have been asked by his members to engage the police, particularly the Dispol," Magwizi said.
"Police should not be used as political stooges of Zanu-PF. I wonder if police would do the same for those in Zanu-PF putting on the yellow colour, and if they do not, then we can say that our police are left-handed instead of being right-handed,'' he said.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abedinico Ncube referred Southern Eye to national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said he was not aware of the incident.
Source - Newsday Zimbabwe
