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Cde Chris Mutsvangwa

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
WAR veterans in Masvingo have passed a vote of no confidence in their provincial chairman Cde Tendeukai Chinooneka and resolved that their embattled national chairperson Cde Chris Mutsvangwa should step down for aligning himself with ousted former war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda.

The war veterans also distanced themselves from another senior provincial member, Cde Francis Zimuto, whose liberation war name was Black Jesus, for allegedly attacking the First Lady, Cde Grace Mugabe, and called for his expulsion from the provincial committee.

Recently, Black Jesus told a local private newspaper that the First Lady should “ship out and go home to cook for her husband instead of meddling with the army, war veterans and the party.”

A senior war veteran in Masvingo province, Cde Isaiah Muzenda, said they held a meeting on Sunday where resolutions were made on Black Jesus, Cde Chinooneka and Cde Mutsvangwa.

He said Cde Chinooneka was booted out for participating in an unsanctioned meeting meant to demonstrate against President Robert Mugabe in Harare last month which was convened by Cde Mutsvangwa.

Cde Muzenda said Cde Mutsvangwa no longer represents their interests and as war veterans in Masvingo, they were against him for wining and dining with people in opposition parties.

“We’re not sure who Mutsvangwa now represents. As Masvingo, we’re not acknowledging his leadership anymore. He has forged an alliance with Jabulani Sibanda and yet we’re fully aware that he now belongs to the opposition. We’re a wing of Zanu PF and if anyone defies the party, he would have defied the war veterans,” said Cde Muzenda.

According to a statement released after Sunday’s meeting, the ex-combatants said they were behind the First Family.

“After we held a meeting that was attended by 41 members from 10 districts, we made some resolutions. We distance ourselves from what Black Jesus said in respect of the First Family. We dissociate ourselves from the unsanctioned meeting called by Chinooneka and sponsored by the suspended Zanu PF chairman, (Ezra) Chadzamira to demonstrate against our Patron President Robert Mugabe in Harare on February 16. We the war veterans of Masvingo rally behind the patron, President Mugabe and his family,” reads the statement.