Mugove Tafirenyika • 8 April 2016 1:49PM • 22 comments
HARARE - War veterans aligned to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday reiterated their calls for a stop to the relentless purges in Zanu PF, as President Robert Mugabe skirted many of the issues that the disaffected liberation fighters wanted to see addressed immediately.
Among the ex-combatants’ other main grievances were the need for Mugabe to rein in the ruling party’s national disciplinary committee (NDC), as well as its commissariat, which they accused of dividing the party through “unwarranted” suspensions.
Presenting their resolutions from various thematic committees, the war veterans — who are meeting in Harare — also declared that they were the rightful custodians of Zanu PF’s ideological orientation, also arguing that the party’s central committee should be responsible for ensuring discipline in the party, and not the NDC.
“We resolved that party slogans should be praising the party, its various organs and the president only and not anyone who is not president.
“We also agreed that new songs and slogans should be approved by the central committee first like we used to do in the past because the current scenario is dividing the people.
“We also raised our concern over the manner in which the NDC was dealing with disciplinary issues, acting as the police, the prosecutor and the judge at the same time,” former senior army official and broadcaster, Munyaradzi Machacha, said as he read a report by the thematic committee on ideology.
Machacha’s report also took issue with Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, accusing him of being at the centre of the seemingly unstoppable factional and succession wars that are devouring the party.
In that light, the war veterans called on Mugabe to ensure that the position of political commissar in the party be given to a former freedom fighter.
“The commissariat department should be preoccupied with mobilising supporters for the party, not to expel others from the party. Suspensions and expulsions without following due process are too much and this is threatening to split the party into pieces,” Machacha warned.
But responding to the grievances, Mugabe chose to dwell on the issue of the former liberation fighters’ welfare that they had also raised, in addition to once again reprimanding war veterans who do not respect elders in the party.
He also accused some of his senior colleagues of “selling out the revolution to the enemy” and harbouring ambitions to “prematurely” take over from him.
“There are some in the party who have become ambitious that they go about telling people that the president has gone to Singapore to seek medical treatment so he is about to die.
“I am not dying any time soon and you will be ashamed,” Mugabe said, adding that he was ready to carry on “until the people say I should step aside, so let’s not bother ourselves with these succession issues, let’s look ahead”.
“Because we are the custodians of the party ideology, we should not be seen dining and supping with Americans. We hear some among us are seen frequently in restaurants, eating with them.
“What will you be talking about? It is the work of the Foreign Affairs ministry to link with foreigners. Are you a spy, agent or what is it? It will be misinterpreted by ordinary people, so be careful,” he warned.
Mugabe also took a swipe at war veterans who brag about their liberation war credentials, saying they had lost the liberation principles.
“Some of you have lost the discipline we were taught and that is not good. You cannot say rude words to your elders. Never, never!
“We want discipline, the discipline we find in the army is called external discipline but we also need internal discipline, but there are those who when they get top posts, they despise those with lesser posts,” he said.
However, he promised the gathered veterans that he would ensure that they have improved access to health facilities, as well as scholarships and fees for their children.