His comments
appeared to be directed at a group of war veterans led by Blessed Runesu Geza,
who have vocally opposed Mnangagwa’s rule, citing nepotism, corruption and
economic mismanagement.
Geza’s group
has called for the president’s resignation, further escalating tensions within
the war veterans.
This reflects
broader concerns over Mnangagwa’s leadership in Zanu PF while Mahiya and his
faction remain committed to extending Mnangagwa’s rule.
Mahiya, who was
addressing war veterans at the launch of the Presidential War Veterans Fund and
the Village Business Unit (VBU) empowerment programme for war veterans from
Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South at Stanley Square in
Makokoba, Bulawayo, on Saturday, also declared that had President Mnangagwa not
been a principled leader, the ruling party could have declared a state of
emergency, suspended elections, and ensured his indefinite rule under the
pretext of the country being in a “war situation” due to sanctions.
In his speech,
Mahiya argued that the existence of Western sanctions amounted to a state of
war, which, under different leadership, could have warranted the suspension of
democratic processes.
“We were
sanctioned by the West. That’s a sign that we are in a war. When a country has
sanctions, when people are in a war, they can stop going for elections because
they are in a war and declare a state of emergency. Mnangagwa is a proper,
listening, educated leader, but if the country was under someone else, we could
have declared that ‘we are in a state of emergency and there are no elections.’
Then we would remove Mnangagwa from power only if he died,” Mahiya said.
He further
claimed that even former United States President Donald Trump was already being
positioned for another term yet his presidency just started, suggesting the
same logic should apply to Mnangagwa.
“The leadership
we want is not one of a person who is highly educated or who has a character
that we don’t know. We want a leader who has a character and hunhu that we
know, and that has been shown by Mnangagwa in the period that he has been
running the country. He can extend his term so that the population can
benefit,” Mahiya said.
Mahiya also
warned those who oppose Mnangagwa’s continued rule, stating that they would
deal with them accordingly.
“So if you
refuse, we have the right, although forbidden by the law, to act otherwise to
stop you indefinitely from saying such things,” he threatened.
The Zanu PF
official insisted that any war veteran who opposed Mnangagwa’s extended rule
had lost their standing in the party and the liberation movement.
“Therefore war
veterans must stop thinking that because they went to Zambia, it gives them the
power to refuse as few individuals what the majority want. It doesn’t give you
power, if you do not follow what people want, your going to Zambia and being a
war veteran will be useless. You won’t have standing because you are ganging
against the people,” he said.
“I don’t
expect, as the secretary of war veterans, to hear any other war veteran say the
opposite because the party’s constitution says our duty as the league is to
protect the interests of the party and its leadership, which is the resolution
that was made here in Bulawayo. That is the interest of the party, and we also
protect the leadership.”
Mahiya invoked
Resolution Number One made during the Zanu PF National People’s Conference in
Bulawayo last year, which endorsed Mnangagwa’s rule until at least 2030.
“If I alone
don’t want, when the majority of people have spoken that they want him to do
that, who am I? Therefore, Resolution Number One said Mnangagwa must extend to
2030,” Mahiya said.
“The president
will not say what I am saying but if we take the principle of the revolution
that the minority is subordinate to the majority, it means the president has to accept as well what has been said by
the people. He cannot refuse it because people have said it.”
The Zanu PF
official condemned war veterans who opposed the resolution, saying they would
not succeed, likening this period as the time war veterans worked together to
oust the late former President Robert Mugabe.
“You gather as
30 people, say different words, go to social media, refusing, what
revolutionary principle is that when the majority of people have said what they
want?” Mahiya questioned.
Mahiya also
claimed emerging factions among war veterans were used to destabilise Zanu PF
ahead of the next elections, potentially leading to a loss for the ruling
party.
“There are
different war veteran associations coming up so that during the next elections,
Zanu PF loses since there will be disorder among the war veterans. In order to
form a government of national unity, they are coming to you war veterans to
divide you so that you disagree with your party and government,” he said. CITE
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