Zimpapers Logo

Herald Reporter
War veterans will meet the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe at her Mazowe children’s home tomorrow without the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairperson Cde Jabulani Sibanda, who has snubbed the meeting owing to factional considerations.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, war veteran and Buhera South legislator Cde Joseph Chinotimba said the meeting will go ahead without Cde Sibanda.

“This is not about factionalism,” said Cde Chinotimba. “We asked the executive to come, but Cde Jabulani said he had already congratulated the First Lady on her nomination to the (position of) secretary of the Women’s League through a newspaper. I am not sure which paper he was referring to. We cannot count on (Cde) Sibanda because what is happening in this case is an issue of divide and rule, but as war veterans we do not want to end up being divided.”

Cde Chinotimba accused Cde Sibanda of having abandoned the cause of the war veterans, who were instead coming to him for help. He said time was up for a war veterans congress to elect a new leadership.

“Do not worry about the absence of the leadership of the war veterans. Everyone is now a leader, but it depends on the quality of the leadership,” said Cde Chinotimba.

Cde Sibanda recently came under fire from fellow war veterans who accused him of faking allegiance to President Mugabe after he failed to attend even one of First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe’s highly subscribed 10 “Meet the People” rallies countrywide. Cde Sibanda was conspicuous by his absence, even from the three rallies held in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Bulawayo provinces.

He told The Herald that he had his Zim-Asset programmes in universities and colleges that were running parallel with the First Lady’s rallies.

Cde Chinotimba said there was nothing amiss about war veterans meeting Amai Mugabe because other people like chiefs, youths and pastors had also met her at the children’s home. He said war veterans wanted to present their grievances, which included their general welfare and the payment of school fees for their children.

“We need to come in full force to congragulate the First Lady upon her nomination,” said Cde Chinotimba.

“Let us go and share our grievances with her as war veterans.”