Zimpapers Logo

Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association’s (ZNLWVA) national executive has declared the decision by the Midlands provincial executive committee to hold elections over the weekend as null and void.The association’s secretary general, Cde Victor Matemadanda, said the polls that saw a committee led by Cde Josiah Tai being elected last Saturday by a small group of war veterans were not sanctioned by the national executive.

He warned provincial committees across the country not to jump the gun when it comes to electing provincial executives as the national executive would call for them in due course.

“The elections held on Saturday are null and void because they were not sanctioned by the national executive,” declared Cde Matemadanda.

“We can’t have provinces holding elections as and when they feel like without approval of the national executive. We know that there are no proper structures in the Midlands and soon the structures will be in place.” Cde Matemadanda said war veterans should be on the look-out for “Gamatox members” (those aligned to former Vice President Joice Mujuru) as they should not be allowed back into the structures.

He said if the national executive suspects that members of the “Gamatox” have been nominated to stand in the elections, the war veterans leadership would be forced to impose a candidate.

“We’re going to restructure the war veterans’ structures from the wards, districts to the provinces and we will have zero tolerance for Gamatox,” he said.

The Midlands provincial war veterans under the leadership of the deposed Cde Terry Shumba was fired in December last year after vowing to support their beleaguered national chairman Jabulani Sibanda.

Bulawayo and Manicaland provinces also supported Sibanda.

“Midlands, Bulawayo and Manicaland provinces were infiltrated by Gamatox and I urge you comrades to be on the lookout,” said Cde Matemadanda.

“Instead of following President Mugabe and Cde Grace Mugabe, they decided to follow Jabulani Sibanda. That says a lot about these comrades and we must be careful when dealing with them.”