The Sunday Mail
Sharon Munjenjema
Children of war veterans have vowed to promote the values their parents stood for in ensuring equal access to resources and better livelihoods for all Zimbabweans.
Children of Veterans of Zimbabwe Liberation Struggle secretary-general Cde Pardon Mangwende said children of war veterans fully supported yesterday’s war vets-organised march in Harare to express solidarity with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ intervention in the country’s political and socio-economic challenges.
“We are happy our fathers managed to restore their value. We are children and we follow whatever our fathers want and say, we agree with everything they are advocating today,” he said in an interview at Zimbabwe Grounds.
Asked why their association had for long been silent, he said: “Some of us were getting money and most of us supported them because of fear. You could lose your life if you spoke out. We hope a new Zimbabwe will come with peace and no fear.”
Cde Mangwende said the children of war veterans wanted a new national dispensation.
“We want a leader who will protect the legacy of our fathers. Whoever our fathers and the Zimbabweans want, if that person is chosen in respect to the Constitution, we will support him or her,” he said. Members of the National Youth Service echoed these sentiments.
Zimbabwe National Youth Service Graduates’ Association secretary-general Cde Abson Madusise said it was not good that an icon like President Mugabe was now faced with such a situation.
“It’s sad our president had to go this way he was once an icon and a dignified send-off would have befitted him but he and his wife had completely lost it,” he said.
“In the National Youth Service, we were taught discipline. Through the song ‘Nzira Dzemasoja’ we are told ‘taurai zvine tsika kuruzhinji rwevanhu’ but this woman belittled elders in public. She had no decorum at all.”
Cde Madusise said National Youth Service graduates were ecstatic that the people of Zimbabwe had come out in full force to express their displeasure with the status quo.
He went on: “I was a Zanu-PF district official in Masiyephambili, Victoria Falls and we were expelled from Zanu-PF together with Colleen Machingura, Gabriel Togarepi and others at the same time when (war vets leader) Cde Chris Mutsvangwa was also fired,” he said.
“The reasons were never declared to us officially. Rumour had it that it was because we were seen as people blocking the progress of (Dr Grace Mugabe) in the party, but now the true leadership will return.”
Workers unions were not to be left out. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Mr Peter Mutasa said Government had failed workers.
“We come here in solidarity with the war veterans who were made to appear as our enemy in the past.
‘‘We hope a new Zimbabwe with opportunities for all will be ushered in,” he said. Mr Mutasa said all of Zimbabwe’s workers were in solidarity with ZDF Commander, General Constantino Chiwenga.
