There is nothing amiss for President Mugabe to attend war vets' meetings

It is so shameful that some sections of the media have run out of news worthy articles thereby left with no option but to nonsensically attack the Head of State, President Mugabe. As it stands, the private media has positioned them at a place that depicts their desperate attempt to discredit President Mugabe and the ruling government in order to promote the opposition.

It is a disgrace that the private media is trying by all means to create and fuel fissures between President Mugabe and the war veterans. What the private media fails to understand is that President Mugabe is a genuine war veteran, who is also the patron of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA). Hence, he has the right to attend and participate in the meeting proceedings of the former freedom fighters.

In previous years, President Mugabe has always been attending the war veteran's gatherings. Also, at ZANU-PF big events such as annual congresses and conferences, the President has also been mixing and mingling with these freedom fighters. In that vein, there is really nothing amiss for President Mugabe to attend the next meeting of war fighters scheduled for 7 April 2016.

It really surprises how some sections of the media has been reporting this. Most of them are creating a wrong impression that President Mugabe's attendance of the next meeting is because he is panicking and fearing the deliberations of the meeting of war veterans.   

How can the President be afraid of his associates? As the patron of war veterans, President Mugabe is there to sow the seeds of unity among the freedom fighters. The war veterans may have challenges that may want to be solved by their patron; hence President Mugabe must be present.

However, because of other commitments, President Mugabe may not be able to attend every meeting by the war veterans.

Most private media are being used as mouthpiece by opposition parties. They pretend to understand the programmes of the ruling party and war veterans, yet they know nothing. The major problem with the private press is that they jump into conclusions before they find facts. They criticize the President for the sack of criticizing, without any liability.

The private media has a propensity of starting up a fire without knowing how to put it out. Most of their articles will be packed with foolish language that bashes the President and government.

What is also surprising is how some ZIPRA ex-combatants claims that they have officially launched their own welfare association of war veterans and appoints ZAPU leader, Dumiso Dabengwa as the patron. The 1987 Unity Accord that was signed between ZANU-PF and ZAPU should not be abolished by anyone.

It is indeed a political crime by the ZIPRA ex-combatants to destruct the efforts that were made between the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, and President Robert Mugabe.

War veterans should be united as they share the same political background. Both ZIPRA and ZANLA ex-combatants fought for the common good of liberating our beloved country, Zimbabwe. There is no reason for the ZIPRA ex-combatants to exclude themselves from the ZNLWVA. In fact, they should be confident enough to meet their patron, President Mugabe at the war veterans meeting that will be held on 7 April 2016.