Zimpapers Logo

President Mugabe

Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor—
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has rightly stamped his authority in showing Zanu-PF will not tolerate mischievous elements within the war veterans who think they can hold the ruling party at ransom and dictate happenings in the party analysts said yesterday. Speaking at the Harare International Airport soon after arrival from Japan on Saturday, Cde Mugabe said Zanu-PF did not take orders from affiliate organisations and was prepared to disengage with associations whose members were unwilling to abide by the ruling party’s rules and procedures.

The President said it was common custom that war veterans and their representative organisations were subservient to the party. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association leadership has found itself at the centre of factional fights in Zanu-PF and the association’s chair Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa was recently suspended from the party and expelled from Cabinet for misconduct and disloyalty.

Cde Mutsvangwa and members of his national executive have, in spite of the censure, continued to make public statements indicating they want a fight. A fortnight ago he chaired a war veterans meeting that claimed to pass a no-confidence vote on party and State Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko.

ZNLWVA secretary general Victor Matemadanda has also consistently made disparaging remarks aimed at senior Zanu-PF officials.

President Mugabe’s meeting with the ex-fighters on Thursday is expected to tackle indiscipline, among other issues.

On Saturday, the President said those who continued to show disloyalty would suffer the same fate as former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and her cabal.

He said the war veterans association was free to table its grievances through properly laid down structures. No association, he said, had the authority to dictate to Zanu-PF leaders how to run the party.

President Mugabe said war veterans who fell foul of Zanu-PF’s regulations should excuse themselves from the party. The late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s last wish on his death bed, President Mugabe said, was for Zimbabweans to remain united and this should guide all party members.

Political analyst Nhlanhla Dube said President Mugabe’s address should be appreciated from the background of recent incidents involving the former freedom fighters.

He said when some war veterans were dispersed in Harare by the police recently, the President made a public statement making it clear that their leader Cde Mutsvangwa had called for an illegal meeting putting his colleagues at the mercy of the police doing their constitutional duty.

In the Saturday address, Dube said, President Mugabe reminded some elements of the supremacy of the party and its constitution.

“From that time to now, he has shown responsiveness, that he’s a listener and a leader. I don’t think anyone will want to be seen conducting themselves outside the ambit of the party and its constitution. If they do, they would be easy to identify and corrective measures will be taken according to the party constitution as President Mugabe has said,” he said.

Political analyst Richard Runyararo Mahomva said it was within President Mugabe’s duties to stamp out any kind of behaviour that is likely to harm the party.

“It’s the duty of any political centre to consolidate power and ensure that it’s not under threat from any peripheral forces including its perceived powerful affiliates. However, the power of affiliates cascades from its centre and the maxims of the mother body. Therefore, the President’s remarks on the war-veterans’ demonstrations indicate that expected reaction, and it’s politically normal,” he said.

“Any political entity is bound to react the way the President did in the capacity of the vanguard of the party. This is reflective of a leader who adequately responds to immediate mandates.”

Renowned playwright Cont Mhlanga said President Mugabe was making sure that affiliate organisations are put in their place.

“It’s a corrective measure that he’s making and an important one. If things start to affect the party then corrective measures should be taken because destroying the party would affect the country. The party in essence forms the government and what happens to the party also affects the government,” he said.

Another analyst and National University of Science and Technology lecturer Stevenson Dhlamini said in the Saturday address, President Mugabe showed strong leadership qualities reminding would-be transgressors that indiscipline won’t be tolerated.

“As a leader to be effective you need to deal decisively with people in your party who are disloyal. I believe His Excellency wanted to ensure discipline in the party and to emphasise that the party still has an effective leadership,” said Dlamini.