A group of war veterans led by one Philemon Mutongi are demanding a ‘clean up’ in ZANU PF, saying that the party headquarters is filled with useless people whom they called statues.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Mutongi said he was speaking in his personal capacity. He said:
I do not claim to speak on behalf of all war veterans but for myself. We see things differently. I fought in the war of liberation and if we have introduced a new administration, then all must be new.
We cannot have someone who was on television announcing Mnangagwa’s sacking as Vice President (in 2017) still sitting there as spokesperson of the party.
These people have nothing to offer. They are statues. Mpofu, Khaya Moyo, (former Defence Minister Sidney) Sekeramayi, (former Health Minister David) Parirenyatwa, the likes of (former Industry Minister Mike) Bimha, (Zanu PF politburo director Dickson) Dzora and (Chitepo School of Ideology’s Munyaradzi) Machacha are statues with nothing to offer to the party and government.
A plan has been hatched and the war veterans want to stage a sit-in to force President Mnangagwa to remove these leaders. The plan is greater than that. It is part of a greater scheme that is meant to create space for people angling to succeed Mnangagwa in the long-term.
ZANU PF party spokesperson said that he was not aware of the plot. Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) spokesperson Douglas Mahiya also professed ignorance of the alleged plot.
More: NewZimbabwe.com