Zanu-PF, Byo war vets bury the hatchet
ZANU-PF and war veterans in Bulawayo have reconciled, pledging to work together in rebuilding the party ahead of harmonised elections slated for later this year.
The Professor Callistus Ndlovu-led ZANU-PF provincial executive yesterday met war veterans’ leaders led by Cde Cephas Ncube at the party’s Davies Hall provincial offices.
In a briefing after the meeting, the party’s provincial spokesperson Cde Christopher Sibanda said the meeting was meant to mend broken relations.
“You might be aware that in the old dispensation war veterans were no longer welcomed at Davies Hall except for those who were preferred by the previous provincial executive.
“So it’s a new dispensation hence war veterans came to meet up with the new party’s leadership so that we can plan ahead together on matters concerning ZANU-PF,” said Cde Sibanda.
He said during the meeting, it was resolved that war veterans will hold positions in the party’s structures from cell level going up.
“We resolved that war veterans should be involved in all the party’s structures from cell up the hierarchy. War veterans had become fed up with what was happening in the party.
“The situation was so bad that even party members were discouraged from attending meetings at the war veterans’ provincial headquarters at Entumbane,” he said.
In 2015, some senior party members including Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde Angeline Masuku were suspended from ZANU-PF after they attended a war veterans’ meeting at Entumbane.
Davies Hall had become home to a war veterans’ splinter group led by fugitive Mr George Mlala.
Cde Sibanda said ZANU-PF and war veterans agreed to start on a new page which will see the affiliate organisation using its structures to mobilise people to support the party.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Cde Rodwell Mpofu said the relations between ZANU-PF and its affiliate organisation had become toxic, but they have now reconnected.
Meanwhile, ZANU-PF Bulawayo provincial executive will from today hold meetings with its districts to apprise them on the new political dispensation which saw President Mnangagwa coming into power.
“Tomorrow (today) at 4pm Area 1 will hold a meeting at Davies Hall with Area 2’s meeting being held at Magwegwe sub-office on Saturday at 2pm while Area 3’s meeting will be held on Sunday at Njube police grounds at 2pm,” said Cde Sibanda.