ED MEETS WAR VETS : AS IT HAPPENS

1548: Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu is now the giving vote of thanks. Dr Mpofu thanks everyone who has come and says through this first interface and thanks President Mnangagwa for steering the party in a positive direction.

1544: “Let’s go out in our numbers and claim a thunderous victory for our party. Let us not forget to bring everyone to fight for our country. During campaigns, I urge you to commit to peace and love. Our elections will be observed by the international community and I urge you to show them we are a mature democracy. Aluta Continua! God bless you and God bless Zimbabwe,” says President Mnangagwa as he ends his address. 

1537: “Minister of Foreign Affairs And International Trade SB Moyo is always on the plane marketing Zimbabwe. We need to stop tendencies that stifle business growth and promote corruption. We will remain alive to the need to protect our sovereignty, that is the reason why we took up arms. In a few weeks time, we will be holding general elections. Ours is to toe the party line.”

1535: “Strong measures have been put in place to improve viability and competitiveness of the business sector that is why we want to be a middle-income country by 2030. Under mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ we are robustly engaging and re-engaging the outside world.”

1536: “We must not fail to uphold the hopes and aspirations of our people and zeal to develop the future of our future generations. Our young ones are a generation hardened by the impact of economic hardships of the past 18 years. Government has already made a decision to increase allowances and pensions for all veterans to cushion you to your daily needs. I take note of empowerment projects you raised. I commend war vets who have continued to do well in some sectors through hard work. You all have equal opportunities to success. My Government will support you in all your endeavours,”

1528: “Work tirelessly to ensure that the Constitution is enforced. We cannot change the past, but we can shape the present and the future. We must dialogue together. We must look forward with great optimism,”

1526: “Going forward, lets inculcate vigilance to defend our nation. Fundamental call of our nation is the Constitution. Let us resolve to defend the country for the benefit of its people. We must pass on patriotism to our children so that they carry on the revolution. Days of state capture by G40 cabal should not visit our nation anymore.”

1528: “I recognise this is a meeting between brothers and sisters who had a conviction to go to foreign lands for the liberation of our country. It’s not a meeting of patron and war vets. I am a fellow Cde and freedom fighter with no superior standing. Only that I have been chosen to lead the people. The task before us is to rebuild our economy without deviating from party’s founding principles. This must involve all Zimbabweans. In doing so, we must commit to rule of law and constitutionalism. Where there is rule of law, the country will not fall into chaos.”

1521: “We are planning to install pivot irrigation schemes in farms around the country as part of our initiative to look at irrigation and mechanisation. I agree with Matabeleland North that said the voice of war veterans is the voice of the revolution. About vetting of war vets, that will be done further and thoroughly by the Ministry. We should report any forms of imposition of candidates whenever it has been seen and noticed,”

1518: “On the monthly pension of $206 for war vets, that will be looked at, you heard what VP Chiwenga said. The current leadership is made up of war veterans, so we cannot ignore your concerns.” 

President Mnangagwa says of the Command Agriculture schemes planned by Government, many will be rolled out in Masvingo because there are some useful water bodies. President Mnangagwa warns land officers over taking bribes.

1511: “Next I will also meet with youths and students. After that I will embark on a national tour meeting the water (people) and we are the fish. Some chairmen left other issues because they had been said by others. You raised issue of land barons. We have an inquiry looking into the issue of land barons. Soon I will publish the names of land barons. There are people who won elections without using money. They had a clean sweep. War veterans, you remain a part of Zanu-PF.”

1505: “When we started the new dispensation, we agreed to have important meetings in our country first with traditional chiefs, church leaders, captains of industry and the war veterans today. We got our independence from the war vets.”

1503: President Mnangagwa acknowledges all senior party and Government officials, all delegates that have attended the meeting and guests from Tanzania’s CCM.

“I heard what you said. Some issues are new, some are old. All are important,”

1500: President Mnangagwa is now on the podium and is now chanting the party slogans
1330: Chairperson Muwoni, from Mashonaland West, says the just ended primary elections exposed some sinister activities in the commissariat department. He asks the President to look into the matter.

1321: Mashonaland Central chairperson Sam Parirenyatwa is now on the podium and says people surrounding the President are of questionable integrity with the G40 hand still showing.

“In Mashonaland Central we have G40 members holding meetings. Some of the people who we think are with us are actually not. We need to restructure the party…our masses, our supporters did not vote in the primary elections and we are asking that those elections be repeated…Mashonaland Central saw defining battles of the Second Chimurenga as such we have departed fighters that never received proper burials. As a Government that comes from the revolution can you please assist in ensuring that our fellow comrades get decent burials,”

1314: “There are people trying to stop war vets from having strategic positions in the party. We are watching those who are against the spirit of the new dispensation as they are using dirty money, yet President Mnangagwa is saying we do not want corruption,” says Cde Sigauke.

1302: Cde Daniel Sigauke from Mashonaland East takes over to make his presentation. Cde Sigauke thanks President Mnangagwa for the successful launch of the 2018 Election Manifesto.

1254: Harare Province chairperson takes to the podium and says the war vets constituency accepts the resolution to have President Mnangagwa as the 2018 Presidential candidate. He says war vets’ monthly pension of $206 should be reviewed upwards as it is below the poverty datum line.

1252: “It’s sad that some war veterans lost during the primary elections because of some who used money to buy others and disenfranchising us. As we go for Presidential elections, you are our candidate. As said by Cde Matemadanda, we need to mobilise support for everyone besides that primary election results were not a platform for happiness.”

He says there are some criminals who are surrounding the President and they need to be removed. Cde Ncube implores President Mnangagwa to address cash shortages as there are many people accessing huge amounts of money while banks are dry much to the dismay of the general populace.
Cde Ncube has now finished his address.

1244: Cde Ncube says war vets were the first to ask for reclamation of land in 2000 but unfortunately they are losing their land to some land barons who use financial power.

1236: War Vets Bulawayo Province chairperson Cephas Ncube makes first presentation. He says state of war veterans should be addressed asking President Mnangagwa to look at the pension which he says is little. He says some of the illnesses affecting war veterans are a result of situations they were exposed to during the war of liberation.

1235: “We should not only be waiting to get help from Government, but we need to do the best for ourselves too while relieving Government of other burdens. Government introduced Command Agriculture and war vets who benefited from agrarian reform should apply and benefit from programme. Those with A2 farms should apply for 99-year leases,”
As VP Chiwenga leaves podium, he declares the meeting open to plenary session as war vets representatives from the country’s provinces make their presentations.

1234: He says war vets appreciate the time set aside by President Mnangagwa to have this meeting.
“War vets are a critical constituency in Zanu Pf and the country at large…Basa riya ratanga. Zimbabwe haichafe yakadzokera kuzvimbwasungata zvakare. Zimbabwe inyika inoerera ropa remagamba edu. This history cannot simply be erased as chalk on a writing board. Ministry is working with treasury to ensure that war vets issues are addressed on time, including issues of fees. All fees for last year and this year’s first term were cleared. We are settling second term’s arrears for this time in the shortest time,”

1226: VP Chiwenga takes to the podium and acknowledges all delegates present. VP Chiwenga is also the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs.

1212: Cde Matemadanda says President Mnangagwa is ZANU-PF 2018 presidential candidate. He says the candidate is not losing sleep ahead of the elections because victory is certain. He says prophets of doom had cast spells over the meeting saying war vets are against the President.

“Today’s meeting is different from other meetings we did because ‘nhasi chinongova chisoja chega chega kubva kwamuri kusvika kuzasi’.

He says former Zipra and Zanla cadres are here as war vets. Anyone who says these war vets are undisciplined is an enemy of the revolution. Cde Matematanda adds while President Mnangagwa says the voice of the people is the voice of God, for today it is the voice of the war veterans is the voice of the revolution.
1158: ZNLWVA secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda, who is also Sec for War Veterans in the Politburo is now on the podium.
1152: The Director of Ceremonies Cde Machacha is now making the opening remarks and acknowledges all members present, from senior Government officials, service chiefs, and all guests from the country’s ten provinces.
1149: Traditional leaders give a supplication thanking the ancestors for helping to deliver Zimbabwe.

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