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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has recommended the readmission into Zanu-PF of former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda, together with ex-ruling party stalwarts Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa. They were expelled from Zanu-PF for allegedly associating with the Gamatox faction.

The faction was said to be led by expelled former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru.

Addressing a provincial war veterans conference at Masvingo Polytechnic over the weekend, war veterans’ national commissar Cde Francis Nhando said some of the association’s members were wrongly kicked out of Zanu-PF over allegations of hobnobbing with the Gamatox cabal in 2014.

He said such members, who include ex-war veterans leader Sibanda, were supposed to be readmitted into the war veterans association and Zanu-PF.

“There are some of our members who were expelled from the party on allegations of belonging to a faction that was behind the former Vice President Dr Mujuru by the former president Mr Robert Mugabe.

“Their crime was of seeing problems that were affecting the party ahead of the rest of us otherwise they did not commit any crime,” said Cde Nando.

“At the top of our list , we want our former chairman Cde (Jabulani) Sibanda back at the association and the party. He was instrumental in making sure Zanu-PF won the 2013 general elections and during the One Million Man march held in Harare. We also have Cdes Gumbo (Rugare) and Mutasa (Didymus), who deserve readmission because they are our members,” he said.

In his address at the meeting, Zanu-PF secretary for War Veterans Cde Victor Matemadanda, who was the guest of honour, advised the association to write a letter to his office to formalise the request.

“We support the readmission of all who were dismissed by former president Mr Robert Mugabe back into the association and the party, Zanu-PF. I therefore ask the vice chair of the association to write a letter with the names of those that have to be readmitted. The letter should be copied to the secretary for Administration (of war veterans association),” said Cde Matemadanda.

He said for the first time Zimbabwe had a genuine leader in President Mnangagwa.

“We have come here to share with you the character of the new dispensation as war veterans. For the first time in the history of Zimbabwe, we now have a true leader, President Mnangagwa. There is a vast difference between a leader and a ruler. Mr Mugabe was a ruler and you know how a ruler behaves,” he said.

He reiterated that Mr Mugabe should apologise to the war veterans for disrespecting them and disregarding their role in Zanu-PF politics.

Cde Matemadanda said Mr Mugabe only believed in himself and wanted his “ill-mannered” wife, Grace, to succeed him while condemning the concerns of war veterans who sacrificed life and limb for Zimbabwe to attain independence.

He challenged the war veterans to actively campaign for Zanu-PF and President Mnangagwa’s victory in harmonised elections this year.