War veterans can't hold the country perpetually hostage

Published: 14 May 2018

THAT President Emmerson Mnangagwa is mulling coming up with a new package for the country's veterans of the liberation struggle cannot go unchallenged.

It is an open secret that the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association executives have for decades been a campaign machine for the governing Zanu-PF party.

Thousands of Zimbabweans have been maimed, killed or injured by the so-called war veterans for refusing to support Zanu-PF under former President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe used the war veterans in a bad way, and he remained their darling for he would dish them goodies, especially, before, during and after crucial elections and they were content with that.

Now with Mnangagwa at the helm of Zanu-PF they have jumped onto the bandwagon and to show that some of them have an extortionist mentality, they sought a meeting in which they wanted to be compensated.

They made new demands, and Mnangagwa as expected yielded, as he seeks to retain his position in both government and Zanu-PF. But where are the resources to splash to these individuals at a time the economy is in comatose.

Part of the reasons for Zimbabwe's economic decay is the unbudgeted huge pay outs to war veterans in 1997 and to think that Mnangagwa now wants to again "thank" them with huge payments is the height of madness.

It is clear that the economy is least performing, and Zimbabwe must be allowed to regenerate for the benefit of all citizens, and not a clique of privileged individuals.
Clearly, the war veterans deserve all that is coming their way. It is high time the veterans of the liberation struggle become neutral in the governance of the country. No person who loves their country would behave in the manner they are doing.

The citizenry is wondering who they are blaming in falling by the wayside in the Zanu-PF internal polls. Now they claim that Mnangagwa is surrounded by criminals. It boggles the mind who is not a criminal in Zanu-PF. It's a question of the pot calling the kettle black — isn't it?

Should the citizens remain steeped in the past? What kind of mentality is this? It is a fact that many war veterans are in their twilight years, and so who would take-over the leadership of the country if they do not want to hand over the governance mettle to the younger generation, even to those within Zanu-PF.

This war veterans' duplicity must be exposed! This entitlement mentality is self-serving, and not in the interest of the majority citizens. It is our hope that Mnangagwa will use commonsense in dealing with the war veterans issues that are before him.

Thankfully, Zimbabweans if given the chance will banish this Mugabe mentality at the forthcoming polls.
- newsday

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