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| President Robert Mugabe |
Linkundla is putting on the platform the concerns of the veterans of war of
liberation as the fear grows that Zimbabwe is fast moving to become
a failed state. Having spent many years enjoying President Mugabe's
company in all violations against human rights, the war veterans
decided to break rank with their patron and sipped from a cup of soberness. As a result they came to their senses and decided to
plough hard and roughly in their leader's fearful den. The war
veterans decided to work collectively and resolved to issue this
communique.
1.
Recalling the ideals of the National Liberation Struggle in which the
blood of the departed heroes was shed in order to address the
National question;
2.
Reaffirming the Founding Provisions in Chapter 1 of the Constitution
of the Republic of Zimbabwe, in particular Section 3 thereof, which
enunciates the supremacy of the Constitution; the rule of law; the
fundamental human rights and freedoms; good governance; as well as
the entrenched
recognition of, and respect for, the liberation
struggle;
3.
Remembering the heroic success struggle,culminating in the birth of
Zimbabwe,thereby igniting in our new better life in the New Zimbabwe;
of the national Iiberation our Republic, the Republic of nation and
people, hopes for a better life in the New Zimbabwe;
4.
We, the surviving Veterans of the War of Liberation, secure in the
historical support that we cultivated selflessly among the broad
masses of Zimbabwe,
make this statement, to spell out our
disappointment, and those of the broad masses and working people of
Zimbabwe, at what is clearly ZANU
(PF)’s abhorable and poor
leadership, and to articulate the wishes of the broad masses,
together with the working people of this great country.
5.
The ZANU (PF) Party Leadership has dismally failed to use the
resounding mandate given to it in the 2013 general election, to
address the economic p
problems that have beset our great nation
since independence from British
rule.
6.
We note, with concern, shock and dismay, the systematic entrenchment
of dictatorial tendencies,personified by the President and his
cohorts, which P
have slowly devoured the values of the liberation
struggle in utter disregard of the Constitution, as demonstrated by
the following:
a)
The deliberate neglect and abandonment, by the Party President,of the
masses, who are the foundation upon which the liberation war was
fought and won, and who have, thereby, become the bedrock of the
Party. Suddenly, ideologically bankrupt million man marches are being
organized in honour of bankrupt leadership! The same leadership
has failed to address the bread and butter issues which stick out
like a sore thumb.
The
systematic decimation of the party political structures through which
the militarised and mobilized veterans prosecuted the struggle.
When
Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe arrived in Mozambique, he walked in to join
those of us who were already armed and prosecuting the war as
political soldiers. He was not the President of the Party ZANU (PF),
but we made him so, thinking he was one of us. Our decision to make
him the President of ZANU (PF) was accepted here at home, regionally
by the Front-line States, and internationally.
The
President forgets that his release from JAIL was not out of sympathy
by his jailers, but because of our war effort. That is why, after his
release, he joined us. Yet, today, he refers to us as irrelevant!
This depicts the President’s lifetime character of always
manipulating situations, and delineating others from
vantage
positions for his personal interests. Examples abound:
o
None of the President’s political colleagues in prison have
benefitted from Zimbabwe’s independence the way he has, as he has
put all his effort in sidelining them;
o
The President’s systematic elimination of those in the struggle’s
leadership in Mozambique, and his continued outfoxing of colleagues
in leadership after independence up to this day, is unmistaken;
o
The current situation, whereby the Party is fragmented with
formations, so-called factions, is clearly the President’s
project, again to outfox his peers in leadership;
The
President has always thrived on divide and rule tactics in order to
protect his party presidential position, each time he has felt
threatened. Examples go a long way to preindependence.
However,
recent examples are of interest, where the Gamatox faction was
created out of nowhere, its so called members being charged with all
sorts of crimes, including treason.Then followed new creations, the
President’S own G40 to look after his interests, and some Lacoste,
a label of those who might be in positions to challenge the
President. Typical of this president, he has mobilised those of his
Gamatox nemesis to boost his G40 project, rewarding them with all
sorts of gifts, including ministerial posts, despite the charges
originally made against them.
After
independence, the Party’s successes at elections have always been
predicated on our political campaigns. To date, the Party still
remains strong in the rural areas, yet the Party President thinks we
have no right to challenge his bigoted political views in terms of
which we should be restricted to discussing welfare issues when he
has turned the party into his personal project where expulsions
are
the only known agenda.
His
persecution, decimation and expulsion of War Veteran members from the
Party under his watch are legendary. From the days of the liberation
struggle to date, history records that his egocentric approach to
party and national politics has led to the demise of many a party
member, on flimsy grounds. We say not anymore! Never again shall we
allow him such free reign.
As
War Veterans, we are dismayed by the President’s tendency to
indulge, in his usual vitriol against perceived enemies, including
peaceful protesters,as well as War Veterans, when the economy is on
its knees. He has a lot to answer for the serious plight of the
national economy. His distaste and disregard of divergent views is
unfathomable and must be stopped. We are dedicated to stop this rot
which he has nursed over time, to everyone’s disgust.
The
labeling of peaceful War Veterans as dissidents induces in us a sense
of shock, dismay and revulsion in light of the history of the 1980’s.
lt will be recalled that our fellow War Veterans and masses in the
western region suffered brutal purges which only the Unity Accord
pacified. Particularly worrisome in this context is the fact that,
whilst the man has dismissed that sad period as “a moment of
madness”, such language belies his insincerity in the Unity Accord.
He should be extending an honestly remorseful regret over this foul
deed, yet he appears to extol this as some macabre virtue. His
continued resort to genocidal language should worry every right
thinking citizen as to his true nature. This is unacceptable to the
memories of those who perished during that time.
We
need not remind the Party President and First Secretary that respect
for those in leadership should not be equated to fear. We do not
subscribe to the idea of unbridled exercise of power without
consultation, where threats of genocidal magnitude are made against
us.He should be reminded that he remains the major beneficiary of the
National War effort at every stage including the Unity Accord. He has
used the privilege of leadership to build a patronage system around
him, which has turned into a personality cult. lt therefore shocks us
to the core that, gauging from his recent statements, he now wishes
to turn the present young generation against us for his own continued
personal aggrandisement.
The
Land Reform Programme, which was a historical culmination of the
valiant liberation struggle, made more land available to the State.
The President and his hangers-on, to our utter dismay, now uses that
land as reward for his foot soldiers, who have become his personal
mercenaries. These mercenaries, strangely, are getting urban land as
reward for destroying the War Veterans’ legacy and the Party and,
with it, the national heritage. We stand firm and resolute in the
defence of that legacy. The tragic consequences for the hare-brain
decisions are there for the nation to see.
His
leadership has presided over unbridled corruption and downright
mismanagement of the economy, leading to national economic ruin for
which the effects are now felt throughout the land.
The
tack of leadership manifests itself in the following examples:-
o
The multiple ZESA scandals;
o Netone;
o
ZINARA;
o
ZISCO;
o
ZINARA;
o
NRZ;
ZUPCO;
o
Hwange Colliery;
o
Chiadzwa diamond fields;
o
Public management and financial scandals replete in numerous
o
Comptroller and Auditor-General’s Reports;
o
Proliferation of land barons through systematic land-grabbing by
those in positions of authority;
Youth fund;
o
Housing fund;
o
Parceling out urban land on partisan grounds thereby rendering urban
authorities irrelevant;
o
Distribution of national assets at Party rallies thereby depriving
deserving development priorities;
o
Commandeering and frog-marching parastatals’ financial resources to
fund party political functions to the detriment of the public
purse and public welfare.
The
above instances demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that the
party leader has absolutely no clue as to the difference between
public funds earned from taxation of the people, and private
individual income. lt is our sacred duty as the vanguard of the
people to speak out against these instances of maladministration and
misrule. This rot needs to be uprooted, and right now.
We
noted with regret that when some of us peacefully gathered around
Harare, the leadership unashamedly and in humiliating fashion,
tear-gassed and water-cannoned us for no reason. Regrettably, the
general citizenry has previously been subjected to this inhuman and
degrading treatment without a word of disapproval from us.
That
time has passed. We wish to categorically condemn the the brutal
suppression of the freedom of expression, whether as exercised by
ourselves or by anyone else. We therefore abhor instances where the
instruments of State power have been used to brutalise private
citizens who share our desire to exercise our constitutionally
entrenched rights and freedoms. As the vanguard of the liberation
struggle we categorically reject the notion that those expressing
views different to those that we hold are agents of foreign powers or
agents and therefore enemies of the State. This notion, which to us
is a diversionary tactic, contemptuously implies that Zimbabweans
lack the capacity to rationalize issues; think through their problems
and take decisive action against clear evidence of misrule.
Instruments
of State power in the hands of a responsible administration remain
constitutionally bound to defend and uphold the Constitution, the
rule of law and defend the sovereignty of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
We therefore condemn the use of excessive force by the State against
the citizens who were peacefully exercising their right to
demonstrate against poor governance. We demand that those who
exceeded the call of duty be held accountable in terms of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe.We further demand that the State and all its
actors respect, promote, protect and uphold our Constitution.
In
view of the above, we the veterans of Zimbabwe’s war of liberation,
together with our toiling masses, hereby declare that henceforth, in
any forthcoming elections, will not support such a leader who has
presided over untold suffering of ‘the general population for his
own personal aggrandizement and that of his cronies.
