PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe should disband the War Veterans’ ministry because it has failed to serve the interests of its constituents and society in general, the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has said.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
The call by Mutsvangwa’s executive, which has run afoul of Mugabe’s government, comes in the wake of reports that War Veterans’ minister, Tshinga Dube has crossed swords with a faction of former freedom fighters led by Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene.
On Wednesday and Friday last week, the two parties met to try and resolve their differences, but failed to break the impasse. War veterans permanent secretary, Walter Tapfumaneyi confirmed the meetings, but declined to disclose the agenda.
“I can confirm that two high-level meetings took place on Wednesday and on Friday. However, at this moment I cannot say anything concerning the meetings,” Tapfumanei said.
A source privy to the meetings said: “Nothing came of the meetings and instead Dube and his ministry are now groping in the dark for a new face to represent the interests of Zanu PF after realising the Chimene project has found no takers and would not sell.”
ZNLWVA spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya accused Dube of failing dismally to run the ministry.
“The ministry is not necessary, as it has neither spoken in defence of its constituency. The ZNLWVA and its membership condemn in no uncertain terms the evil in the ministry’s efforts to undermine a legitimate leadership of liberators of this country. It’s shameless and hypocritical behaviour that after a published letter in which the minister denied any involvement in the affairs of the association still commits itself to ignore the provisions of the Zimbabwe Constitution and that of the war veterans’ association,” he said.
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ZNLWVA secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda also claimed that the ministry was manned by people, who were ignorant of their mandate.
“That ministry should just be disbanded. They have failed on their duties. For example, we still have war collaborators, who are supposed to be vetted, but instead of concentrating on that they worried about plundering the few dollars the ministry has on accumulating hotel bills and paying allowances for a few,” he said.
“Before the ministry, we were under the army and during that time, our welfare was better compared to now. They should just disband it and revert to placing war veterans under the army.”
Dube has admitted his ministry has failed in its bid to conduct a vetting exercise for war collaborators. He however, also queried the figures of living veterans of the liberation struggle arguing it has been “static despite deaths”.
