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Zipra veterans intensify peace campaign

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THE Zipra Veterans Association last week toured parts of Gwanda districts as part of their national peace building efforts launched early this year to promote tolerance and peaceful election campaign among candidates in this year’s polls.

THE Zipra Veterans Association last week toured parts of Gwanda districts as part of their national peace building efforts launched early this year to promote tolerance and peaceful election campaign among candidates in this year’s polls.

BY SILAS NKALA

The association’s secretary-general, Petros Sibanda, said during their tour of the district that they met Chief Mathe and other local traditional leaders.

“Zipra veterans emphasised on the conduct of peaceful elections under non-violence. The other meeting was held at Kezi homestead area where we were also invited to talk about peace before, during and after elections,” he said. Sibanda said they are also meeting and advising fellow comrades in these local communities to desist from intimidating civilians.

“Besides, Zipra are doing conflict transformation hoping that the government will complement Zipra veterans efforts nationwide. It is a historical fact that Zipra operated from all fronts during the war of liberation. You will appreciate that the use of violence on our masses was never a culture of freedom fighters.”

The peace initiatives come in the wake of an increase in cases of political violence with the latest being the physical attack on MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe by suspected party youths opposed to her bid to succeed the late MDC-T Morgan Tsvangirai.

Several civic society groups have also raised concern over the spike in violence cases, including alleged intimidation of voters by Zanu PF activists and traditional leaders.