WAR Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa has launched a nationwide campaign, where he is reportedly meeting liberation war fighters to whip up their emotions against a Zanu PF faction known as the G40 believed to be throwing spanners in Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
by Everson Mushava
Although Mutsvangwa said the meetings, which were rolled out in Rutenga, Masvingo, at the weekend, were to find ways of helping the country in the face of a devastating drought, sources within the war veterans’ camp said they were aimed at mobilising the ex-combatants against suspected G40 leader Jonathan Moyo.
“The focus is on the emergency drought relief and the essential logistics,” Mutsangwa said.
“Moyo is too marginal to be accorded such attention by the hardened pedigree of our victorious revolution.”
Mutsvangwa met war veterans in Rushinga on Saturday and proceeded to Gweru the following day.
NewsDay understands that war veterans chanted anti-G40 slogans at the meetings.
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The meetings came after Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association secretary-general Victor Matemadanda threatened to bar Moyo from attending tomorrow’s politburo meeting.
Matemadanda also vowed to petition Mugabe to fire Moyo and Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.
“The meetings are aimed at mobilising war veterans to rise against Moyo and Kasukuwere and G40. The meetings will cascade to all provinces. The idea is to push for a fresh wave of purges on G40 members,” a source said.
“The war veterans and party youths are being sponsored by the Mnangagwa faction.”
But Mutsvangwa maintained that the purpose of the meetings with the ex-combatants was to plan how to get maize from Mozambique to stave off the current food shortages triggered by the El Nino-induced drought.
“We are in touch with the world’s major grain regions and the globe’s leading financial players to ensure adequate maize supplies. Recall that it was the Defence and Security establishment under the competent leadership of Air Marshal Perrance Shiri that saved the nation from the 1992 drought,” Mutsvangwa said.
Kasukuwere yesterday also took to Twitter and made a veiled attack on Mutsvangwa, saying: “Lucifer now running naked in the streets.”
Mugabe is expected to crack the whip on warring party members at tomorrow’s crunch politburo meeting.
