SELF-IMPOSED war veterans leader George Mlala yesterday accused Western countries of fuelling divisions in the leadership of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) to ensure the former fighters dump President Robert Mugabe in the run-up to the 2018 elections.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Mlala, who deputises in a faction led by Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene, claimed the West wanted Mugabe to lose the upcoming elections to “a stooge either from the opposition or ruling party”.
The Chimene faction has on several occasions tried to wrest control of the ZNLWVA from Christopher Mutsvangwa’s executive. Recently, the High Court ordered Chimene and Mlala to stop masquerading as war veterans’ leaders, but the duo has defied the order.
“The West is hell-bent on making sure that a stooge takes over from Mugabe, after which they will create some chaos to remove their stooge,” Mlala said at a Press briefing in Bulawayo yesterday.
“In South Africa, we have seen it unfolding before our eyes where the West has sowed divisions in the African National Congress (ANC) to make sure it is easy to boot out (President Jacob) Zuma and replace him with their own stooge.”
Several top ANC officials were piling pressure on Zuma to step down, accusing him of, among other charges, unbridled corruption and allowing a business family of Indian origin to capture the State.
“They (West) are using exactly the same modus operandi to make sure members of the ZNLWVA remain divided. Unfortunately, some of us have allowed ourselves to be used for the benefit of the West’s agenda,” Mlala said.
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He accused War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube of dividing ex-combatants and ordered him to stop speaking on behalf of the ZNLWVA.
This followed Dube’s refusal to recognise Chimene’s faction.
