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Joseph Madzimure

Zimpapers Political Hub

THE War Veterans League will commit itself to ensuring sustainable growth of the ruling Zanu PF party, Secretary for the League, Cde Douglas Mahiya, has said.

Speaking at the inaugural two-day War Veterans League National Assembly meeting in Harare yesterday, Cde Mahiya said the formation of the league had provided an authentic platform for war veterans to contribute towards the growth of the party.

More than 600 war veterans and ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees attended the meeting.

“The league commits itself to ensuring sustainable growth of our Party Zanu PF. Since the formation of the League in 2022, our department has been seized with the mammoth task of operationalising our structures by educating members on their constitutional mandate as well as on how they should work with other wings of the party,” said Cde Mahiya.

The league is working closely with the Women’s and Youth Leagues to devise the implementation of a robust mobilisation programme for the continued growth of the party.

Cde Mahiya said the party constitution mandated the league to mobilise war veterans to play an active role in party politics adding that they were embarking on a cell structuring exercise to take stock of its members from village level.

“The league will ensure that Zanu PF builds visible and vibrant structures. In that pursuit, we continue to conscientise the masses on the agenda of the West to undermine Zanu PF and subvert our Government,” he said.

“The Zanu PF constitution provides that war veterans, ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees, protect the party and its leadership.”

“We also observe with concern, similar efforts by former colonisers to subvert governments that are led by former liberation movements in Southern Africa. We will remain vigilant to counter such machinations by the West and their surrogates,” said Cde Mahiya.

The war veterans league strongly supported the ongoing process to enact the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill as it would go a long way to neutralise rogue Non-Governmental Organisations.

“We have also noted with concern, the abuse of social media platforms by retrogressive characters within our society. We have thus, embarked on a countrywide tour to educate our party members on the need to remain loyal to the party as well as to discipline those who seek to propagate dissent within our rank and file.

“We are custodians of Zanu PF and the bedrock upon which the party shall continue to grow itself from,” said Cde Mahiya.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said war veterans should remain united and continue to play a critical role in the preservation and consolidation of the liberation ethos and heritage.

“As we are now 44 years after independence, we were united to fight for the liberation of this country, we must remain so.

“We must see it by our enduring philosophy that a country is developed, protected and ruled by its citizens. The recognition and transformation has revamped and invigorated the party into a formidable force it is today.

“We shall be like that and fulfill the President’s vision of building the great Munhumutapa country, the country of our ancestors,” said VP Chiwenga.

VP Kembo Mohadi said the indomitable spirit of war veterans, coupled with their sacrifices over the years and sheer force of determination, would inspire Zimbabwe towards an upper middle-class economic status by 2030.

“The  war veterans remain vital in driving the country in the quest to achieve its objectives through offering leadership in communities and also at the national level,” said VP Mohadi.

He said the ruling party and Government continued to treasure their contribution to the country’s political sphere and quest to realise sustainable socio-economic development.

Zanu PF national chairman Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri called for unity of purpose among war veterans to ensure sustainable growth of the party.

This is the War Veterans League’s inaugural National Assembly since the wing’s inception as an organ of the party in 2022.

Until then, the war veterans were an affiliate of the party, but are now a fully-fledged wing of Zanu PF.