Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter—
THE Government has condemned increasing unruly behaviour exhibited by the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led national executive of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association and its contempt for Zanu-PF and its leadership. The sentiments by War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-political Detainees and Restrictees Minister Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube follow recent utterances by expelled former war vets leaders who have been castigating President Mugabe and the Government through the private media.
The Mutsvangwa executive is accused of making public pronouncements against the party leadership and circulating subversive documents like the Blue Ocean Strategy and a Communique denigrating President Mugabe.
Addressing a press conference in Bulawayo yesterday, Minister Dube said they were working hard to bring the two warring factions of war veterans together through consultations that are set to begin next week.
“The Ministry equally condemns the increasing wayward positions of the Masvingo elected group against the party and its leadership. We appeal to all war veterans to give us a chance to introduce structures that will help our organisation to proceed with dignity and purpose,” he said.
Minister Dube said the consultations set for next week seek to unite all war veterans and cater for their welfare. “The Ministry of War Veterans, War Collaborators, Detainees and Restrictees will soon be inviting provincial chairpersons of war veterans for consultations maybe next week. Our motto in the Ministry is to unite all war veterans and deliver their welfare within our means,” he said.
Minister Dube urged war veterans to “unequivocally continue to uphold and support President Mugabe’s sole candidature for Zanu-PF in the 2018 Presidential elections as enshrined in the resolutions of the Zanu-PF conference held in Victoria Falls in December 2015.”
Minister Dube said the there were two groups in the war veterans association – the Mutsvangwa-led and Mandiitawepi Chimene headed factions. He criticised Cde Chimene for ignoring a court order barring her from taking over the leadership of the association.
“Our courts have been drawn to these problems and clearly ruled that a splinter group may not masquerade as representing the main groups. We must show respect to our courts of the law, the judges are recruited by the Judicial Service Commission and sworn in by the President,” Min Dube said.
“Ignoring the judgment of the court amounts to criminal contempt. It also shows disloyalty to the President. “The Ministry therefore condemns in the strongest terms the opportunistic machinations by some splinter groups to wrest control of the War Veterans’ Association by unorthodox means in contempt of High Court interdicts specifically barring them from such actions”. – @AuxiliaK