adminVusumuzi Dube Sunday News Reporter
MEMBERS of the war veterans association in Matabeleland North yesterday met their national leadership where they affirmed their support for President Mugabe and further had an opportunity to discuss the outcome of the meeting with their Patron last month. The meeting which was held in Lupane, saw scores of former freedom fighters from all over the province converge on the provincial capital where they were addressed by national secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda and members of the provincial leadership.
In an interview after the meeting, Cde Matemadanda said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting revealing that war veterans were supportive of their patron President Mugabe.
“As you know, when we met President Mugabe on 7 April, he assigned us to meet the people, informing them on the outcome of the meeting, hence this particular meeting was part of that process where we were briefing our members especially those who did not attend. Today (yesterday) we assured our membership that their problems have been forwarded to and are being addressed by the President. Yes, there might be a few issues here and there but we will soon iron them out and map a unified way forward,” said Cde Matemadanda.
He said with those meetings, which were being held in all the country’s 10 provinces, they were also laying the foundation to prepare for the 2018 elections which he predicted Zanu-PF will record a clean sweep.
“One thing which we are saying as former freedom fighters is that we will always remain steadfastly behind President Mugabe. We know a lot of speculation has been said but we are dismissing all these sentiments. President Mugabe is our patron and we will campaign for him and ensure he wins the 2018 elections. I am especially pleased with the support we saw in Matabeleland North, the unity and zeal they showed is quite encouraging. The message which we left behind is that of unity and development as we embark on this journey,” said Cde Matemadanda.
He revealed that today they will be meeting their membership in Bulawayo where they were also expecting hundreds of former freedom fighters to attend. Last week the executive was in Matabeleland South. Also present at yesterday’s gathering was the national vice-chairman of the association, Cde Headman Moyo among other national executive members and war veterans’ chairpersons from all the 10 provinces.
Meanwhile, a group of war veterans in Matabeleland South has insisted that they still do not recognise the meetings being held by the executive led by Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa because he was suspended from the ruling party, Zanu-PF.
Responding to a war veterans’ meeting held in Gwanda last week, the group which calls itself “Top Ten Executives’, in a letter said the Cde Mutsvangwa-led executive were “a team of mercenaries who are now working for regime change and were fired by the revolutionary association on 13 February 2016.”
“Mutsvangwa and his team cannot claim to use Zanu-PF and Government premises as they are no longer with us. They cannot fire anyone from this province who is not in the executive. War vets should refrain from being used by Western agencies. We therefore declare the non-existence of Mutsvangwa and his mercenary group from Matabeleland South.”
derick.khumalo