adminSenior Reporter
MANICALAND war veterans have thrown their full weight behind the Zimbabwe National Liberation War veterans Association executive led by Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa. The new executive was ushered into office during the association’s extraordinary congress in Masvingo at the weekend. Cde Mutsvangwa takes over the reins from Cde Jabulani Sibanda who was fired from both the association and the revolutionary party Zanu-PF.
The congress entrusted power in a new leadership representative of the country’s 10 province.
The Manicaland slot was grabbed by Makoni South legislator, Cde Mandi Chimene. She replaced embattled Retired Major James Kaunye as the national secretary for information and publicity.
Cde Kaunye was knockout on three fronts, first as ZNLWVA spokesperson, then as the Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial commissar and lastly as the party’s district coordinator for Makoni district —on intertwined allegations of pursuing a factional agenda.
War veterans accused the Cde Sibanda-led executive of neglecting them as it got entangled in the pursuance of a factional agenda out of which they made rich pickings while the majority of them wallowed in poverty.
Manicaland chapter chairperson, Cde Linda Mathathu, immediately urged the new executive to come up with tangible programmes to improve their welfare.
The chapter’s secretary general, Cde Godfrey Chitakatira, said his executive had no qualms with the new leadership.
He expressed optimism that the new leadership would cast a new perspective for the association while strengthening the ruling party.
“We are congratulating Cde Mutsvangwa and his executive and we are optimistic that the ushering into office of these new brooms will sweep the house as well as strengthen the party itself.
“We also hope that the new executive will look into the welfare of the comrades. We want them to arrange scholarships for war veterans, be they university fees exemptions or grants for us as well as our families.
“Our pensions are paltry and related to this is the issue of access to health. We want to see sound empowerment of members be it in farming, mining and income-generating projects,” said Cde Chitakatira.
Cde Chitakatira urged the incoming executive to ensure that provincial and district elections were held in a peaceful and transparent manner.
“We want peaceful transition and hand over and take-over of power and provincial and district levels. As war veterans we fully appreciate the concept of division of labour — once one serve their tenure, they hand the button to the next person, but we want this done in a manner the will not raise suspicions about others,” explained Cde Chitakatira.
Makoni chapter chairperson Cde Mike Makiweni branded Cdes Sibanda and Kaunye as symbols of the association’s decline.
He said they did more harm for the association by failing to make politically correct compromises to keep the organ edging forward.
“We need a new leadership that will break with the past trends and usher the association into a new era of transparency, accountability, trustworthiness and respect of people’s views as well as being sensitive to the party’s vision and interests of the masses.
“(Cdes) Jabu and Kaunye failed this test. If Jabu was neutral, why would he snub First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe’s rallies and travelled to Mutare to attend a function which Vice-President Dr Joice Mujuru was expected to preside over. Where is his neutrality? (Cde) Kaunye is power hungry.
“He had three posts at one go and we hail his replacement by Cde Chimene, who is unwavering, fearless and can articulate our issues better, especially her in Manicaland where certain politicians believe in godfatherism and guruism,” said Cde Makiweni.
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