by BustopTV

War Vets Now A Third Wing Of Zanu PF

By Lloyd Takawira

Zanu PF secretary for war veterans in the politburo, Douglas Mahiya has revealed that following their last annual people’s congress in Goromonzi war veterans are now a third wing of the party in order to wade off what he termed “imperialist machinations”.

Addressing a Zanu PF Weekly Press briefing at the party headquarters in Harare, Mahiya said that with President ED Mnangagwa blessing the Party has added another wing of War Veterans which will boost the ruling party.

He said , “at our last annual people’s conference in Goromonzi, with the wisdom of His Excellence the President, we as a party agreed that the war-veterans have a say in the politics of the country to make a contribution politically and economically. We are in the process of structuring our party from the cell up to the highest level. In essence what it means the party has created a third wing. Flying high as it was in 1980 , now that the has three wings it is going to fly even more higher. What I’m saying is that the war-veterans are back”.

Mahiya threatened the United States and Britain for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe .

“We strongly warn the British and Americans that War veterans would not fold their arms and watch them as they torment Zimbabweans through sanctions and other inhuman acts,” he said.

However, indications on the ground reveal that the ongoing Zanu PF DCC and war veterans restructuring exercise has created deep seated factional infighting.

Recent weeks have seen spirited attempts by Mnangagwa and his inner circle to fully get rid of the remaining remnants of the vanquished Generation 40 (G40) faction who are accused of “working furiously” in provinces such as Mashonaland Central to destabilise the former liberation movement.

Mahiya said he and other top brass war veterans are heading first to Mashonaland Central for a war veterans restructuring process preceding the hosting of the ruling party’s annual people’s conference this year in that same province.

Sources allege that “the hard to appease” war veterans are the source of divisions and violence that has characterised the District Coordinating Committee DCC election currently underway in Zanu-PF’s.

Political scientist, Frank Chauke speaking from his South African base argued that factions in Zanu PF are a common thing especially with war-veterans seemingly not appeased.

“Deadly tribal and factional infighting that is once again wreaking havoc in the former liberation movement are not a new thing. However this time it’s going to be more interesting. We could get to the levels that were seen in the last few years in power of the late former president Robert Mugabe if President Mnangagwa doesn’t stamp authority in time.”

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