Published: 2016 August 05 07:57:56 (6345 Views)

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) has declared independence from the President Robert Mugabe led ZANU PF party, claiming that the association should not be inclined to any political party in the first place.

Responding to the Zanu PF politburo’s decision to fire secretary-general Victor Matemadanda, spokesperson Douglas Mahiya, national commissar Francis Nhando and vice-chairman Headman Moyo on Wednesday, the former freedom fighters said they were unfazed.


Douglas Mahiya

Mahiya said the ex-combatants were not supposed to be aligned to any party in the first place.

“We were not supposed to be aligned to any party in the first place because the people in opposition parties such as MDC-T, Zimbabwe People First, Zapu and others were part of the struggle,” he said.

“Some lost sons and daughters, relatives and friends to the war. War veterans are supposed to be referees in the country’s political games, as well as custodians of the ideals of the liberation struggle.”

“It liberates us from the weight of party and government rules that have never benefited war veterans,” he said.

“They call us a reserve force. Whose reserve force and for what purpose? Anyway, we have never benefited from any association with the army, except for those who have served as regular troops.”

ZNLWVA chairman Christopher Mutsvangwa was expelled from Zanu PF two months ago after he continuously ran afoul of Mugabe, while Mahiya, Matemadanda, Nhando and Moyo were victims of the fall-out that followed the release of a stinging statement last month that called on Mugabe to resign.

The communiqué has shaken the very foundations of Mugabe’s leadership, as it was the first time the former freedom fighters had publicly rejected the Zanu PF leader’s administration and accused him of rights abuses.

Mahiya said the war veterans would now work with “ordinary citizens”.





- News Day

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