A group of war veterans is angling for the takeover of properties owned by white businesspeople around the Lake Chivero Recreational Park in Harare accusing them of disrespecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In 2004 and 2010, the Zanu PF storm troopers invaded the
recreational park, and yesterday they warned “another 2010” is coming.
Over 20 tourism facilities were invaded in 2010 by Zanu PF
activists wearing party regalia and claiming to be war veterans, a development
that attracted global condemnation.
Reasons given for the latest takeover bid are that some of
the property owners are racist because they refuse to hoist the country’s flag
on their premises or to display Mnangagwa’s portrait.
“Gone are the days, 2010 is coming. Watch the space,”
Michael Gomo, a Zanu PF activist who also claims to be a war veteran warned in
the Lake Chivero Whatsapp group platform.
Gomo told The Standard yesterday that there was no turning
back on their threats.
“We took over some of these facilities after 2010 and it is
coming back because we want to fight their actions,” Gomo said.
“We will do this our way as Zimbabweans and we will
continue to fight them.
“We started fighting them in 2004 and we will continue
until we win since we are now seeing changes.
“There are some, who remain there who think they own the
Lake. They do not even hoist the president’s flag and that of the country, not
even a picture of the president in his facility, nothing.”
Gomo vowed to fight on accusing those making complaints of
using “Rhodesian laws.”
The war veterans say they are also happy about property
owners who complain of noise pollution as people hold events around the lake.
“Is it noise when the people are celebrating in their own
country? You can’t tell me about cutting down trees from other facilities. What
does that have to do with what is happening here?,” Gomo said.
“They cannot control us and we cannot use the (former
Rhodesian prime minister Ian) Smith laws and we say no to that.”
“They want to control us with Harare laws yet we are in
Zvimba. I told them we are coming for them and we will toyi-toyi at their
facilities.”
Land invasions have been on the rise under Mnangagwa regime
with war veterans and Zanu PF activists forcefully taking over farms, mines
among other facilities.
War veterans invaded the facilities in 2010 when former
vice president Joice Mujuru was acting president forcing protests in Spain
where then Tourism minister Walter Mzembi was marketing the country as a safe
tourism destination. Standard
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