HARARE - Matabeleland South provincial governor, Angeline Masuku, says war veterans should back off from the debate around President Robert Mugabe’s continued occupation of office despite advanced health.

Addressing mourners at the burial of veteran journalist and former deputy news editor of the Bulawayo-based Chronicle newspaper, Paul Nkala in Plumtree yesterday, Masuku said war veterans had no locus standi to ask Mugabe, 89, or any Zanu PF leader to vacate office.

“War veterans be wary of some amongst you, who do not have a history of the liberation struggle worth mentioning by some of us who were involved in the war of liberation for this country. These are the same people who talk too much to a point that they soil the name of the war veterans. They are busy asking leaders to vacate offices. Where do they get that right from?,” she asked.

In reference to Mugabe, Masuku said he was the current torchbearer of the party’s policies and future.
However, she warned there was a high risk that the party would lose direction if there was no consultation between those in the party’s leadership and those aspiring for office.

“I want to say we all need to ask things that we do not know from those that have traversed the route that we seek to take over one day. That is why it is very important to ask our leaders to provide guidance.”

 We believe that there is no proper home or family where you won’t find an elderly person from whom you would want to tap wisdom from.

“To the war veterans, I say there is no way you can say that your father is now old and he should find home elsewhere. That is why in the end, you end up demanding to sleep with your mother because you have chased away your father. Let us, as war veterans, keep away from this business of asking our leaders to go away because there are some of our friends who aspire for office,” Masuku said.

The late Nkala, who died at the age of 53, was awarded liberation hero status. - Own Correspondent