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War vets rap ‘divisive’ Mugabe

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War veterans have hit back at President Robert Mugabe for criticising them during the burial of Retired Brigadier-General James Murozvi, saying the veteran leader should stop dividing Zimbabweans by making reckless statements.

War veterans have hit back at President Robert Mugabe for criticising them during the burial of Retired Brigadier-General James Murozvi, saying the veteran leader should stop dividing Zimbabweans by making reckless statements.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

President Robert Mugabe
President Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association secretary-general Victor Matemadanda yesterday said Mugabe and his wife, Grace, had no prerogative of insulting other people.

“We had gone to mourn our departed comrade and, you know, at a funeral we should speak words of comforting and consoling, not to start insulting each other,” Matemadanda said.

“We don’t know why we are being insulted by the President, his wife or people close to him whenever they have an opportunity. We don’t know if this is their agenda to insult war veterans at every opportunity that they get.”

Mugabe, at Murozvi’s burial at the National Heroes’ Acre on Wednesday, said war veterans were not special and should not involve themselves in Zanu PF politics.

Matemadanda said Mugabe should not continuously seek to divide people through insults.

He said a clique within Zanu PF always ululated when war veterans were attacked and the former freedom fighters were puzzled why Mugabe continuously insulted them.

“This is our home and we don’t have any other outside Zimbabwe,” Matematanda said.

“If we retaliate against him, we will be labelled ill-disciplined, but discipline is not one way, such that when seniors insult juniors, it’s fine, but if we respond, we are called ill-disciplined.

“Why should the President think he has the prerogative to insult others and when we respond they say it’s treasonous?”

The firebrand war veteran wondered what Mugabe would benefit from by constantly denigrating former freedom fighters while reminding the veteran ruler that respect was earned.

He said Zimbabwe was their home and they also have a role to play in Zanu PF, as they fought to bring that party into power during the independence war.

Matemadanda said it was also regrettable that Mugabe was dining with people who fought on the Rhodesian side against those who helped him be the country’s leader.

He said this in reference to a number of top Zanu PF officials who had links with the Rhodesian government.