Retired generals rebuke Mliswa over 'dangerous' remarks`

Retired senior military officers and former civil servants have issued a strongly worded response to outspoken politician Temba Mliswa, accusing him of making "irresponsible" and "dangerous" statements following their submission on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.

In a formal statement delivered by Henry Muchena, on behalf of ex-combatants, the group defended their actions and warned against what they described as inflammatory attacks on institutions they say underpin Zimbabwe's stability.

The retired officials said Mliswa's remarks trivialised a fundamental constitutional issue and disrespected those who fought in the liberation struggle.

"One of the key reasons we left our villages to fight was for universal adult suffrage - one man, one vote," the statement read.

They emphasised that their correspondence to Parliament regarding Constitutional Amendment No. 3 followed proper legal and procedural channels, dismissing any suggestion that they should have approached Emmerson Mnangagwa directly as "constitutionally illiterate and disrespectful."

The group also rejected claims that their intervention was driven by bitterness or lack of employment, insisting their service to the country and the ruling party, ZANU PF, was marked by distinction.

"To reduce our principled engagement to bitterness born of unemployment is beneath contempt," the statement said, adding that their commitment to national service remains unchanged since the liberation war.

They further challenged Mliswa to clarify remarks suggesting they were "not clean," demanding specific explanations.

In a pointed section of the response, the retired officials questioned Mliswa's authority to comment on their submission, asking what "locus standi" he had in the matter.

"Are you the Parliament spokesperson? The Government spokesperson? The Party spokesperson?" the statement queried.

They noted that, to their knowledge, Mliswa is neither a sitting Member of Parliament nor a member in good standing of ZANU PF, describing him instead as an opposition figure.

The group also took issue with what they described as threats by Mliswa to accuse them of treason over their parliamentary submission.

"We do not take that lightly, and we advise you not to repeat it ever," the statement warned.

The exchange highlights growing tensions around Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 and the role of former liberation war figures in contemporary political discourse.

The retired officials maintained that their intervention was lawful, transparent, and rooted in national interest, insisting that "the people's interests — and the people's interests only — must stand supreme."