adminConrad Mupesa Mash West Bureau
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has castigated splinter groups that are trying to soil its close ties with the ruling party, Zanu PF.
The association said the groups have been on a campaign to discredit its chairman Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa and his executive, and making demands on the Government. Speaking during a provincial meeting in Chinhoyi last week, Mashonaland West chairperson, Cde Cornelius Muoni said the move by the splinter groups was aimed at destabilising the unity prevailing in the country.
“Some misinformed organisations are peddling falsehoods against the current administration led by Cde Mutsvangwa whom they accuse of failing the movement since 1980 when in actual fact; Cde Mutsvangwa only became the association’s leader in 2014.
“The groups are only trying to hoodwink other war veterans to effect change in the current administration,” he said.
Cde Muoni said since Cde Mutsvangwa became the chairman of the association, there has been a lot of achievements that war veterans can boast of that include recognition by the ruling party through the establishment of the war veterans’ wing.
He added that the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act, which incorporates the affairs of war veterans, collaborators, detainees and non-combatant cadres came as a result of the current leadership, which is in sync with the Second Republic.
“The groups seek to manipulate war veterans from low-lying and marginalised areas across the nation to affect the regime change and here in Mashonaland West, we have a few members of those groups but they do not have any traction.
“The association, however, does not restrict its members from contesting the leadership as we are democratic but the two groups that seek to criticise Cde Mutsvangwa’s led administration are not even part of us,” he said.
The meeting also appraised the provincial executive on steps being taken by the Government to address some existing anomalies in the land reform.
They also pledged support to the Global Compensation Deed.
Provincial secretary general, Cde Mudzungaidzwa Mudarikwa said while the nation was seized with rumours peddled by opposition political parties against the move and allayed fears of the reversal of the land reform, war veterans had, however, fallen prey to some unscrupulous land officials who were evicting them.
He added that offer letters were supposed to be availed to the people currently staying on the pieces of land before offering it to those that have interests.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter