War vets leader defends support for Zanu PF
By Staff Reporter
The notorious leader of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Jabulani Sibanda says freedom fighters cannot be separated from Zanu PF, as the two have the same ideology.
He said there was nothing wrong with revolutionary ex-combatants aligning themselves with Zanu PF because its opponents had former Rhodesian soldiers.
The combative Sibanda also said it was improper for MDC formations to say traditional leaders should be apolitical when the British system recognised the need to have royal representatives in all security systems.
“Is it by accident that (David Coltart) is a member of the MDC? Is it by accident that (Roy) Bennett and (Giles) Mutsekwa are members of the MDC-T? These are former Rhodesian soldiers, who opposed the revolution that took them out, yet they are in politics so why shouldn’t freedom fighters be in politics,” he said.
(All three MDC and MDC-T officials have denied this allegation in the past).
“We have to be where we are because we believe we were set up for a purpose to overthrow a settler regime in our country and imperialism that enables bigger nations to exploit smaller nations,” Sibanda rumbled on.
“We are politically conscious and there is no way you can divorce us from the understanding that gives us courage to march on and standing for a hard right against an easy wrong. We cannot be divorced from Zanu PF,” he added.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora however said “Nobody has denied war veterans the right to associate politically, in fact in the draft constitution they are not prohibited from joining a political party of their choice.
“What they are prohibited is to engage in violence or force other Zimbabweans to think as they think and to adopt political preferences of individual war veterans,” said Mwonzora.
Last year Sibanda embarked on an intensive and extensive terror campaign in the Manicaland and Masvingo provinces, threatening villagers with war if they do not vote for Zanu PF in the next elections. His campaigns of intimidation elsewhere continue with police taking no action.
