ED SURROUNDED BY CRIMINALS : WAR VETS

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was now surrounded by criminals and the Zanu PF faction associated with former President Robert Mugabe was still alive in the former guerrilla movement, war veterans charged yesterday.

War veterans provincial chairpersons issued a warning of a looming internal revolt over the just-concluded contentious party primary elections to Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga in presentations at their indaba.

Bulawayo provincial chairman Cephas Ncube said like Mugabe before him, Mnangagwa was now surrounded by criminals.

“War veterans are dying in penury, only well-to-do comrades were able to contest competitively in the just-ended primary elections or get positions in the party.

“The President is surrounded by criminals once again. Criminals with money took charge of our primary elections but for the sake of the party we will vote even these criminals,” Ncube said.
Ncube urged Mnangagwa to decisively deal with the cash crisis.

“Our people have no access to cash, but there are unregistered banks on the streets. Where is the law? Deal with illegal money-changers as a matter of urgency,” he said.

Mashonaland Central chairman Sam Parirenyatwa said former Zanu PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere’s structures were still intact and causing chaos in the governing party.

“G40 is still alive, it is still in charge. We think the party made a mistake by foregoing a restructuring process that should have rid the party of these elements after Operation Restore Legacy.

“Kasukuwere’s chairpersons are still in charge of districts and colluded with the commissariat secretariat during the primary elections. We think this was an attempt at primary elections which was never an election. We urge the party to go through the process again,” Parirenyatwa said.

Cornelius Muwoni from Mashonaland West, said war veterans have a problem with the party’s commissariat department headed by Engelbert Rugeje over the way the primaries were conducted.
“War veterans have grievances against the commissariat. We suffered for the new dispensation. Our leaders were arrested, but the project was hijacked at the last hour,” Muwoni said, adding the primary elections were flawed with money flowing from corrupt candidates.

His concerns were echoed by Masvingo war veterans leader Ignatius Murindi, who urged a countrywide healing process to forestall an internal protest vote.
“While there is no doubt as the presidential election candidate there are likely to be problems around parliamentary and senatorial candidates,” he said.

All speakers took potshots at Rugeje’s department over the primary elections charade.
The only women provincial chairperson Virginia Mphaso from the Midlands said G40 activists were now at the forefront of Zanu PF’s election campaign, warning this could sink the former liberation movement.

“The G40 are now at the forefront and feeding you (Mnangagwa) with the wrong information. We request that you come to the people and get the correct situation,” Mphaso said. Newsday 

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