War veterans terrorise opposition supporters
By Jeffrey Muvundusi
A group of war veterans aligned to the ruling Zanu PF party is being accused of terrorising officials and supporters of opposition parties in Nkayi South.
As a result, Nkayi South Zapu district chairperson Precious Dewa has been living in fear after the former liberation war fighters threatened to make him “disappear the Itai Dzamara way”.
A renowned political activist who shot to fame through his Occupy Africa Unity Square campaign against the regime of former president Robert Mugabe, Dzamara, was abducted by five unidentified men while at a barber shop in Harare’s Glen View suburb.
Dewa, who has since engaged his lawyers to help him get justice, has also filed a report with the police.
“The war vets led by one Cowden Maphosa approached me and told me that they had been given powers to make sure I disappear just like what happened to Dzamara.
“I didn’t take these threats lightly hence I went to the police who told me to go back and ‘resolve your issue amicably’,” Dewa said.
“I won’t take this lightly. I have to make a move. Imagine this is happening about seven months before elections, what more as we draw closer — it will be disaster.
“It’s not me alone who has complained about these war veterans.
“I think it’s high time the new president reins in his boys because it will soil his name,” said Dewa.
Zapu national spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa confirmed the harassment of the party’s members in Nkayi district.
“We received the reports but we are surprised there are still criminals who seek to hide behind war credentials to harass our people,” Maphosa said.
“Zapu fought for and brought this country from colonialism and for Cowden to threaten Zapu structures is just a naive criminal expedition that will land him in big trouble with the law. Zapu also will not sit idle and watch him.
“We cannot afford such elements especially approaching elections this year.
“The responsible war veterans body must dissociate from his conduct, otherwise we will hold them complicit should we fail to get a free, fair and credible election.” DailyNews
