Tshinga Dube heckled at Zanu-PF conference

Deputy minister of War Veterans, retired lieutenant colonel Tshinga Dube was yesterday heckled by war collaborators at Mucheke Stadium in Masvingo.

Dube, who is MP for Makokoba in Bulawayo, had come to address the Zimbabwe War Collaborators Association annual conference.

He was guest of honour at the event where First Lady Grace Mugabe had been billed to officiate. She did not pitch up, amid all sorts of speculative theories surrounding the explosive factionalism that has rocked Zanu-PF. No explanation was given for her failure to attend.

Dube was first interjected by boisterous liberation war collaborators after he told them that government could not meet the December deadline for vetting them so that they could get allowances because of lack of funding.

"We have not yet forgotten about vetting war collaborators so that they can get allowances. The process needs money, and the money is not available yet. We thought we could finish the process by December this year, but we have postponed the deadline to March".

He said $4 million was needed for the vetting process, but government had no money.

"We cannot do it without money. We need $4 million, which is not there. I know you may not like this, but vetting is a process, it is not an overnight thing. We are not magicians. Remember this is a new ministry which is just a year old. So all these things cannot be solved at once," Dube said.

But before he had finished his explanation, grumbles and murmurs grew from the crowd and in no time he was being heckled. He was saved by the master of ceremonies who managed to silence the angry mob before Dube could proceed.
"Do not disturb his speech, listen to him. He is like our mother because this is the ministry that deals with our issues. You can interject other speakers, not him. If you continue talking, it's a sign of disrespect," the master of ceremonies said, before Dube proceeded.

"Do not cry. March is just four months away. We have almost a million people to be vetted, so be patient. We cannot match the speed you want, we are limited by funding," Dube said.

But worse was to follow when Zimbabwe Liberation War Collaborators' Association chairman and Zanu-PF national youth secretary, Pupurai Togarepi took to the podium.

Togarepi publicly challenged Dube, saying the vetting did not need $4 million.

"It is not their fault that they [delegates] are not happy about delays in vetting. We were told that the process would be done by December this year. If it is pushed to March, won't it extend to December next year? We are looking at what happened before, that is why we now appear to doubt."

In a direct attack on Dube, Togarepi said: "We do not need $4 million for the process. We can vet ourselves, we know each other and it does not need $4 million. Some of the people we started this organisation with died without getting any war benefits. It was not their wish to abandon school and help in the war.

"We want to be vetted so that we are treated like war veterans. That does not need $4 million. We can rope in war veterans, they know us and do not need money for that.

"Zilwaco are the owners and shareholders of the party," he said amid applause from the war collaborators.