Chronicle Editor
ON Saturday, we published an interview in which Welfare Services for War Veterans Minister Rtd Col Tshinga Dube expressed foreboding over the zero-sum games that currently typify relations between critical constituencies in the ruling Zanu-PF party, namely the rump in the war veterans category and younger, post liberation-politicians. Minister Dube explained that there were elements that wanted war veterans to be banished to political Siberia and were even against overtures at peace that had seen Government reaching out to the disaffected former combatants.
On the other hand and this is not a secret, a vocal, often excitable section of war veterans has expressed unwillingness to work with certain individuals that they think are behind their political woes and at times flailing fortunes.
It is a typical game where there can only be winners and losers: no middle ground. All this has threatened to boil down to some kind of Armageddon where forces of supposed good fight forces of evil. Cde Dube, like many adherents of the revolutionary party, had every reason to be worried.
He says, “That is why some of us feel that we must do everything to make sure we iron out our differences. There are people who are too proud to think of that . . . there can be a possibility that we are beaten in elections.”
That is the point when it gets worrying.
We make no apologies for fretting over the implosion of the party of revolution which we feel holds the highest ideals and spirit of Zimbabwe and has been under attack for truly championing the cause of the people.
As such we welcome any and all efforts to unite the party that clearly still has a job to do in upholding the independence of the country and consolidating the gains of the liberation struggle.
The infighting and zero-sum games that have been at play are unacceptable. Interventions and overtures recently by Government are thus critical.
President Mugabe on Saturday had a meeting with war collaborators, ex-detainees, ex-restrictees, widows of fallen heroes, non-combatant cadres and war victims affiliated to Zanu-PF. This meeting is part of a broader conversation that Government has been having with people identifiable with our liberation era.
To all intents and purposes, these meetings and conversations have been encouraging. The apex of the country’s leadership has shown willingness to engage with a critical constituency that has felt neglected — largely justifiably.
President Mugabe has acknowledged the dire social conditions that the former fighters, combatant and non-combatant, find themselves in relating to mainly school fees for children and health security. The economic challenges that the country has witnessed have not spared former fighters.
Former fighters’ families deserve social safety nets and cushion, including allowances.
President Mugabe revealed that economic vehicles such as mines could be availed to the banner of war veterans so that they could find succour. That is commendable and we hope that all mechanisms can be put in place to make sure that former fighters and their families have decent economic engagements and social safety fall backs.
It is the duty of the Government to provide for its people — even critically those whose lives and prospects were compromised when fighters laid down their lives to free this country. This duty can competently be initiated and carried out by the ruling Zanu-PF party, for obvious reasons.
Now, if the party is at war with itself and as pointed out by Cde Dube the ruling party cannot conceivably — and along its larger national mandate — deliver promises to its constituencies. The country and ruling party cannot afford to have a pauperised and disaffected constituency like war veterans.
As indeed a whole national constituency. The ruling Zanu-PF has a duty to stop fights at all levels so that it can concentrate on delivering on its mandate to the people of Zimbabwe who overwhelmingly voted for the party in the last elections.
The more the party engages in the fratricidal, zero-sum games the more it neglects and is seen to be neglecting, service to the nation — and may as well pay dearly for it.
Online Reporter