LINDA MASARIRA – LEAD PRESIDENT.
Zimbabwe. – Since independence war veterans have been honoured for bringing what they termed sanity in the political Zimbabwe. This generation that took arms up to 1980, independence has remained in power for four decades.
They benefitted from farms, mining claims; their children have gone to school on government funding. With unprecedented impunity and in 2000, these veterans chaotically unleashed terror, invaded white owned farms killing some of the owners. These veterans spearheaded violence particularly against opposition members in rural, peri-urban and urban communities during political campaigns and election periods propping up fear to the ordinary who are the electorates. Not forgetting the ZANU youths have been identified as either tools or enemies of the party because of failure to observe protocol or being loud mouths. Hierachical protocol has always been an enemy of youths progression.
It simply destroyed and weakened the youth structures and their responses as they always have to wait for guidance from these elders. These same veterans have since learnt the art of togetherness which has made ZANU pf party strong and successful in it’s social, economic and political endeavours.
The 21st July 2016, marked an evolution of the Zimbabwe political standing as war veterans delivered a communique to the then President R. G. Mugabe. The communique was released after a meeting by war veterans at Raylton Club, Harare. The gathering was to map a way forward for ZANU pf as a party after the continued ouster veterans like Jabulani Sibanda and Christopher Mutsvangwa from the war veterans association by the G40 cabal.
It was never felt that the precipitating tragedy was a generational dispute until the meeting concurred that G40 and MDC were one side of a coin. On the 21 July 2016, meeting war veterans accused Mugabe of entertaining youths claimed to be used by Grace Mugabe, Jonathan Moyo and Kasukuwere, whose intentions were to take away veterans farms, cut all unnecessary allowances and benefits meant for these elders and elimination of the less than 34000 vets. The elders believed that all ZANU members must be acquainted with the Chitepo ideology but they were facing resistance from G40 youths.
One veteran from Matabeleland complained that a Vice President of that time had been illegally and violently chasing them from their mines and taking over. One wonders who between the two Mphoko and Mnangagwa would have such powers. One wonders why they never reported these matters to law enforcers.
*40* years after independence most of the veterans have remained active in party and government. A few of these have enriched themselves, their sons, daughters and grandchildren. They are positioned in critical points of governance holding high posts and raking high particularly in security sector. ZANU PF is a baby of war veterans the revolutionists. Whether we like to hear it or not, it’s a fact that they have been instrumental in policy related social economy for 40 years. Thus we are here.
They have held control of the mining sector for long. The veterans have kept the party of afloat by any means possible to them through funding party activities, upbringing of blood sucking cults like Mashurugwis, Alshabab, Top six so as to maintain fear in all areas of operation. Through corruption these leaders have control of government programs and community related developments.
We have only learnt how dangerous the war veterans are but not how many they are against half Zimbabwe population of the younger generation. It is time to stop being used by the elders, it is time for convergence and mapping the way forward which will develop Zimbabwe.
Let us be reminded that these war veterans were already young men and women in 1980. They partly built and to a large extent destroyed our national social economy, legal and political environment. We are young men and women. Some were 10 years in 1980, they are now 40 but have never tasted the sweetness from the fruits of this country.
We can best articulate what our country has to offer to the world, but have never been positioned to execute ourselves, unless if we demand what’s rightfully ours. The right to justice in all corruption cases by the judiciary is our clarion call to the judiciary. We seek a working economy and responsive social economy.
Public office holders and all criminals arrested and found guilty must be imprisoned.
#GenerationalConvergence
#IloveMyCountry
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