Mugabe cheating Mnangagwa—War vets

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has warned Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa not to trust his boss, President Robert Mugabe for his recent statements professing support for him.

Mugabe and his wife, Grace, spoke at a recent meeting of the women’s wing that she heads, and assured Mnangagwa of their support.

Mugabe said they had come a long way together while Grace denied reports that the women’s league wanted him removed and replaced by a woman.

The war veterans who have publicly supported Mnangagwa to take over from Mugabe before the 2018 general elections, however, are seeing it differently.

Douglas Mahiya, the ZNLWVA information and publicity secretary, said the Mugabe family had not changed and just wanted to give Mnangagwa a false sense of security.

The two took no action in the recent past when prominent women’s league members publicly attacked Mnangagwa and accused him of leading a Zanu PF faction plotting to wrest power from Mugabe.

“Nothing has changed. If anything, they want to push him into a false sense of security before striking when least expected,” Mahiya said.

“Experience tells us that the enemy is most lethal at times like these. Publicly they are making pronouncements that seem to indicate the war is over, but, in fact, they are preparing for a final devastating assault to deliver the killer blow,’ said Mahiya.

He cautioned against believing the respective Zanu PF chairpersons who are now claiming support for Mnangagwa, yet they were imposed by a rival faction, the Generation 40 (G40).

“It’s a decoy because the same chairpersons owe their allegiance to the same group that wants Mnangagwa removed. They will stampede to applaud anything their masters will say.

“We are aware that the plan is a naked assault on anyone who is a war veteran or connected to the war. Mnangagwa is just a microcosm of the war veterans’ fraternity, the same fighters who delivered victory, only now to be rejected by their leader,” said Mahiya.

Mnangagwa reportedly enjoys the support of the generals in addition to the war veterans and his sympathisers are united against Grace and the G40 outfit that she is said to be fronting.

Both Grace and G40 have in the past publicly attacked the generals and the war vets who are seen as representing the values of the liberation struggle that brought independence to Zimbabwe in 1980.

ZNLWVA secretary general, Victor Matemadanda, has already poured called water on Grace and Mugabe for their Damascene statements relating to Mnangagwa, saying they must walk their talk. Nehanda Radio