Chris Mutsvangwa and Zimbabwe’s entitled class

By Makusha Mugabe

Those in the know say the new Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman, Chris Mutsvangwa is a mental case, untreated since the days he used to kill villagers accused of selling out.

As the killings were meant to be examples to other villagers, they were carried out in the most cruel fashion, which analysts say may have had an effect on the vociferous war vet’s psych, and many others.

Mutsvangwa who went to the front from the University of Zimbabwe has become notorious for his history of the liberation war which tends to only come out when he has some demands to make for himself.

For example when he was demanding politburo positions for ex-combatants, he released this gem which not only exposed Mutasa as a lustful lecher, but also himself as someone who is tormented by his ill-treatment at the hands of his comrades. No mention of his own treatment of villagers or any of his actual operations.

Our most memorable outbursts by Mutswangwa were when he told off his boss at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mbengegwi, for not including him in decision-making processes.

He was then quoted saying he fought in the liberation struggle when the minister (Mumbengegwi) was at the margins of the war, sitting somewhere in Europe enjoying the hospitality of the imperialists, and the Permanent Secretary (Joey Bimha) was working in the then Muzorerwa Regime.

Party secretary Didymus Mutasa was also at the receiving end of Mutswangwa’s tougue-lashing when he was told that he was in the comfort of Maputo suburbs when the war was being fought, yet he was now trying to impose his lecherous ways on women in the party, with fears that his own wife may have been the subject of Mutasa’s amorous overtures.

In the last few days he has accused Nicholas Goche of having been a criminal before independence, how he ran away and joined the liberation movement – an accusation which can also be applied to many in Zanu (PF), but which is only being brought now because he Cde Chris wants Goche booted out of the party to create space for himself and others of his faction.

While Goche has his own corruption issues, like everybody in Zanu (PF), it is the crudeness and finality of his attacks on his political rivals which makes the allegations of him being unstable plausible, and it also applies to many former combatants.

There was never any rehabilitation or even simple acknowledgement of all the evil things that went on during the war – especially killings of the innocent. Many e-combatants have gone mad.

Mutsvangwa now he says vice-President Joice Mujuru has expelled herself from Zanu-PF because she filed nomination papers to contest the position of Vice President and Second Secretary of the party.

So what is wrong with her filing to run for the position that she already holds, and for which she is well qualified due to experience? According to Mutsvangwa she defied the party’s “planned unanimous decision that only President Mugabe stands for election at the 6th National People’s Congress early next month.”

Mrs Mujuru probably did file because she had heard that her rival camp was planning to amend the constitution to allow President Mugabe to make all the appointments of the Presidium, including the chairman of the party – which they did yesterday.

Mutsvangwa was quoted saying the Vice President had defied the Politburo, though the Politburo had not made the decision when she filed. As far as he is concerned, she is no longer eligible to continue being a Zanu-PF member.

That the politburo decision had not yet been made when she filed, does not seem to matter to him. “She is totally offside and the referee will soon show her the red card. She should lead by example but her actions show how far her rebellious streak had entrenched itself in her because she is no longer a member of the club…So, she is free to form her own club,” said Mutsvangwa, showing that mean streak that is required of anyone who can give an order to bury someone alive or cut off their tongue.

As far as Mutsvangwa is concerned anyone who was not holding a gun in the bush in the 1970s is not a human being. While it is easy to demonise him because of all the negative energy that emanates from him, I believe this chap actually needs help.

In the same vain we also have the likes of Oppah Muchinguri who also need help. When you see her clapping and ululating at Grace Mugabe’s ignorance you can tell that something has disconnected. She may well have also been abused; as Mutsvangwa said of her, when asked about abuse she just helplessly slides into sobbing.

But one thing that this group of people have agreed on is that they own Zimbabwe by virtue of their contribution to the liberation struggle. They were given demobilisation funds, afforded free education and training, given $50 000 packages and pensions, including schooling for their children, but they are still asking for more, and do not care how everybody else is managing.

This is why the fall-out in Zanu (PF) can be very dangerous if it puts the likes of Mutsvangwa and those who have that sense of entitlement at the forefront. They believe that they are there to get what they suffered for, not anymore for those ideals for which they were willing to be locked up in dungeons at Nyadzonya. Change Zimbabwe.com