THE ruling Zanu PF party wants war veterans, seen as key
allies of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to hold key positions as part of its
restructuring exercise in a move observers say is akin to militarising the revolutionary
party.
Most of the provincial positions come with cars and various
other benefits. In a circular dated April 10, 2019, party commissar Lieutenant
General Englebert Rugeje told provincial chairpersons that certain positions
from cell to province were now reserved for war veterans.
Defence and War Veterans deputy minister Victor Matemadanda,
who is also the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War
Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), admitted seeing the circular, but referred all
questions to Rugeje saying he was the one with the timelines.
“Just get hold of General Rugeje. He is the one with the
timelines on when that exercise will commence because he is the one who
generated that circular,” Matemadanda said.
Contacted for comment on the circular Rugeje said: “Sorry I
can’t talk right now, I am in a meeting.”
Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo said he was yet to
see the circular because he was out of the country.
“Is the circular signed? Does it have a stamp? I am going
to see it today. I was out of the country so I am yet to see it,” Khaya Moyo
said.
Analysts believe the gesture is an act of rewarding war
veterans for wresting the country from colonial rule as well as helping bring
to an end former President Robert Mugabe’s long rule.
The war veterans also flexed their muscle before the
December 2017 Zanu PF extra-ordinary elective congress where they resolutely
backed Mnangagwa and managed to elbow out the G40 camp comprising of the
party’s ambitious young Turks mostly without liberation war credentials.
Part of the circular (number 3/19) seen by Southern Eye
read: “Sub: Implementation of the December 2017 extra-ordinary congress
resolution on the assimilation of war veterans of the liberation struggle into
party structures.
“You will recall that the December 2017 extra-ordinary
congress endorsed a resolution on the elevation of war veterans of the
liberation struggle in the party and government. Pursuant to this resolution,
you are by way of this circular directed to ensure that war veterans are
incorporated into the main wing party structures from cell to provincial in view of the
restructuring exercise. In this regard, war veterans should be considered for
the following posts:
“Chairman and vice chairman-if the chairman is a non-war
veteran then the deputy chairman should be a war veteran or vice-versa.
Political commissar and deputy political commissar-the post of political
commissar and deputy political commissar from cell level to provincial level
should preferably be filled by war veterans.
“Secretary for security and deputy secretary for security —
the posts of secretary for security and deputy secretary for security from cell
level to provincial level should preferably be filled by war veterans.”
The ZNLWVA was launched in 1989 with the diposed Mugabe, as
its patron. The war veterans continued to fight belligerently for government to
recognise their liberation war roles and support their welfare, resulting in
government paying them $50 000 gratuities.
From then on, Mugabe embraced them to ring-fence his power
and used them in often violent campaigns particularly after the inception of
the MDC in 1999 to oppress civil society activists and grabbing white-owned
commercial farms during the chaotic 2000 land reform programme. Newsday
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