Chronicle Editor
Cletus Mushanawani, Mutare Bureau
WAR veterans have blamed the country’s economic woes on infiltrators of the ruling Zanu-PF, saying such people are discouraging use of domestic capital.
Speaking on the sidelines of a war veterans meeting at Mutare Polytechnic on Saturday, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman, Cde Chris Mutsvangwa, said:
“Command Agriculture is a very good scheme which shows a new thinking in Zimbabwe. The scheme received funding from the private sector and other interested commercial sectors which want to see the indigenous capital finding its way back into the national capital.
“Infiltrators within the ruling party were the militating factors that were discouraging the canvassing of domestic capital.
“They were misleading businesspeople that there will be internal revolt that will affect the national politics, President, war veterans, Zanu-PF and the general Chimurenga spirit and they would take over power. This had a negative effect on the performance of the economy.”
He hailed the ongoing cleansing exercise in the party saying this will help to restore the war veterans’ confidence in the party.
“We are happy with the cleansing in the party, the Mudenda Commission and other moves being done by the Politburo to correct things that were discouraging the full mobilisation of the capacity of war veterans,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.
“We are very confident that these will be addressed so that the organisational flair of the war veterans can fully be harnessed together with other members of the society who are progressive. We are happy and we will stand solid to the tradition of the Chimurenga revolution,” he said.
“We are very conscious about retaining political power. We will make sure that the detractors within Zanu-PF who have been the main enemy, the enemy within, are dealt with. These have always been a threat to the party’s victory,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, said divisions affecting war veterans were being orchestrated by outsiders.
“You should appreciate that divisions in the structures of war veterans do not originate from the membership, but people from outside who are paying them money to cause these divisions,” he said.
“There is no reason for war veterans to be divided. People from outside who have their own personal agendas are causing these divisions.
“War veterans fought together during the liberation struggle and what is the reason for them to be enemies today? New elements that want to pursue personal agendas are the causes of these problems,” he said.
Rtd Col Dube added: “There is every reason for war veterans and collaborators to be united. A lot can be achieved if people work together. There are no  major differences to talk about, but mere personality clashes.”
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