News / National
Jabulani Sibanda accused of faking allegiance to Mugabe
20 Oct 2014 at 06:23hrs | Views
OUTSPOKEN war veteran boss Jabulani Sibanda has come under fire from fellow war veterans who accus him of faking allegiance to President Mugabe after he failed to attend even one of First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe's 10 "Meet the People" rallies countrywide.
Sibanda was conspicuous by his absence even from the three rallies held in Matabeleland North, South and Bulawayo provinces.
Former ZNLWVA national chairman Patrick Nyaruwata said they were disappointed by the uncouth behaviour displayed by Sibanda and would be seized with the matter.
"You cannot say I love the husband and not the wife," he said.
"The wife of the President cannot be separated from the President. As war veterans we were supposed to be with the First Lady. We do not expect such behaviour towards the First Lady because the President is our patron.
"We are expected to be seen supporting programmes of the First Family. The training that we got during the liberation war is that we should respect our leaders."
But Sibanda yesterday defended his actions. He told a State-run daily that he had his Zim-Asset programmes in universities and colleges that were running parallel with the First Lady's rallies.
Ironically the First Lady was quite scathing on the programmes that saw some party officials claim to be explaining Zim-Asset in the provinces to mask their factional activities.
Sibanda said he had his programme in universities and colleges known as the "African Liberation Identity and Indigenisation in the Zimbabwean Context" which he rolled out before the First Lady's rallies.
He said other programmes in the country should not stop because the First Lady is having rallies.
"Did you hear the First Lady complaining about my absence at her rallies? I was busy doing my programmes in colleges and universities and these are also party programmes. With this programme I have to follow the calendar of the colleges as and when they are free with their students."
Sibanda said he did not even attend President Mugabe's rallies during last year's harmonised elections and queried why it was now an issue.
He said the party was aware of what he was doing adding that his programmes complemented party programmes.
Sibanda was conspicuous by his absence even from the three rallies held in Matabeleland North, South and Bulawayo provinces.
Former ZNLWVA national chairman Patrick Nyaruwata said they were disappointed by the uncouth behaviour displayed by Sibanda and would be seized with the matter.
"You cannot say I love the husband and not the wife," he said.
"The wife of the President cannot be separated from the President. As war veterans we were supposed to be with the First Lady. We do not expect such behaviour towards the First Lady because the President is our patron.
"We are expected to be seen supporting programmes of the First Family. The training that we got during the liberation war is that we should respect our leaders."
Ironically the First Lady was quite scathing on the programmes that saw some party officials claim to be explaining Zim-Asset in the provinces to mask their factional activities.
Sibanda said he had his programme in universities and colleges known as the "African Liberation Identity and Indigenisation in the Zimbabwean Context" which he rolled out before the First Lady's rallies.
He said other programmes in the country should not stop because the First Lady is having rallies.
"Did you hear the First Lady complaining about my absence at her rallies? I was busy doing my programmes in colleges and universities and these are also party programmes. With this programme I have to follow the calendar of the colleges as and when they are free with their students."
Sibanda said he did not even attend President Mugabe's rallies during last year's harmonised elections and queried why it was now an issue.
He said the party was aware of what he was doing adding that his programmes complemented party programmes.
Source - The Herald
