The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu Senior Reporter
THE War Veterans Council of Elders yesterday said they will not go to court to challenge the leadership of Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa who was recently expelled from Zanu-PF but will just go ahead and organise a congress where new leaders will be elected. This come after last week, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association successfully filed an interdict barring some of its member from claiming leadership of the former freedom fighters.
Those who were interdicted from interfering were Cdes Joseph Chinotimba, George Mlala, Charles Mpofu, Ester Munyaradzi, Stephen Moyo and Robert Mukwena.
However, addressing scores of war veterans at the Zanu-PF provincial offices at Davis Hall in Bulawayo, Cde Chinotimba said they will not waste time going to court over the issue of control of the war veterans association.
“Why waste time and money going to court, we are going straight to congress. The way in which we are campaigning for Zanu-PF to win elections is the same way we will campaign for Mutsvangwa (Christopher) and his team to fall,” he said.
Cde Chinotimba said the Council of Elders do not recognise the leadership of Mr Mutsvangwa.
“We do not recognise Mutsvangwa and his war veterans, I am here to talk to war veterans that are aligned to Zanu-PF. Mutsvangwa can lead his faction we do not care, they are not our business at all. I am not here for him at all we will continue with our own people not his,” said Cde Chinotimba.
He said bogus war veterans will be expelled from Zanu-PF.
Cde Chinotimba said people like disgraced former war veterans leader Mr Jabulani Sibanda were expelled from the party after insulting President Mugabe just like Mr Mutsvangwa.
Another elder Cde Mlala said he heard through the Press that there was a court interdict against him and would not comment about it before being served with the order.
He said war veterans were part of Zanu-PF.
“All war veterans are Zanu-PF, the moment you leave the party you cannot stand and be called a war veteran when you have been expelled from the party. You also cannot chant Zanu-PF slogans too, this is what we are telling people throughout the country,” he said.
Cde Mlala said the interim executive made up of 10 comrades that is leading the Bulawayo Province in the association is there to stay following the instruction of President Mugabe.
“Positions elected in Masvingo still stand up to date and they are all known. Douglas Mahiya was not in Masvingo but now he is calling himself the secretary for information and publicity in our association, he was never elected, they are defying the President. Cde Mandi Chimene was the one elected to that position,” he said.
Cde Mlala said Bulawayo Province will remain under the leadership of Cde Roy Maphosa.
He further said the executive that was endorsed by Mutsvangwa in Gwanda was null and void.
He dismissed as false allegations that Mr Mutsvangwa has the bulk of the war veterans in his faction.
“We removed Jabulani, and now Mutsvangwa, how is it unconstitutional, it is rather surprising that he said so,” said Cde Mlala.
Cde Mlala said war collaborators should not be cheated by some rouge war veterans who go around saying they were vetting them.
He said a war veteran can stand as a witness only and that people should go back to the provinces where they assisted the freedom fighters and be vetted there.
