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War vets demands Ed to step down

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Zim Faces Renewed Political Turmoil

Zimbabwe’s militant war veterans say President Emmerson Mnangagwa must go – and go now – to stop his third term bid as he has dismally failed the country through leadership, governance and policy flops amid damaging mismanagement, corruption and incompetence.

In a scathing attack and citing grave concerns over his third term bid as well as nepotism, cronyism and looting during a media briefing in Harare yesterday, the war veterans said Mnangagwa has further destroyed Zimbabwe since he took power through a coup which ousted the late former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017.

In a script menacingly similar to what war veterans themselves used in 2017 before Mugabe’s removal, the ex-combatants said Mnangagwa, whom they branded a fake war veteran, has done so much damage to the country and should not stay a day longer in office due to despotism, corruption and privatisation of the state.

They accused him of being surrounded by some corrupt tenderpreneurs, conmen and killers who have destroyed the country and impoverished the people.

The veterans, who played a crucial role in the country’s liberation struggle, are adamant Mnangagwa must respect the constitution and leave office at the end of his second term in 2028 instead of mutilating it to hang on until 2030 or beyond as he wants to.

They said Mnangagwa should stop treating them like they are “stupid” by saying he does not want to continue in power after 2028 becase he is purportedlt a “constitutionalist”, while telling his political allies – including ministers – to push for his third term.

The war veterans aggressively warned any attempts to extend Mnangagwa’s term would be a “gross infringement” of the constitution and the people’s rights. They also expressed growing concerns about the potential for “dynastic rule” in Zimbabwe.

The call for Mnangagwa’s ouster has further revealed deep-seated factionalism and infighting within the ruling Zanu PF party, with some members supporting the president’s potential third term bid and others opposing it.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his military-backed Zanu PF faction are opposed to it.

The Chiwenga faction has reacted with anger and vigour to Mnangagwa’s move to amend the constitution to facilitate his further stay in power through a third a term disguised as “2030”.

In a news conference held in Harare, war ceteran and Zanu PF central committee member Blessed Runesu Geza urged Mnangagwa to go peacefully, warbing if he does not then the people’s power would soon be unleashed on him.

“It is clear to us that Mnangagwa has failed. He’s not fit to run this country, and his time to go is now,” Geza said.”

We ask him to go peacefully.

If he refuses to take hid of this advice, we have no option but to ask the people of Zimbabwe to deal with a rogue president in line of the constitution.”

Accusing Mnangagwa of behaving like Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, overthrown and executed in the Romanian Revolution in December 1989 along with his wife Elena Ceaușescu, as part of a series of anti-communist uprisings in Eastern Europe that year, another war veteran cadre Knox Chivero said:

“They want to be there forever and declare this country a one-party state and lead this country the Nicolae Ceaușescu way in this century. Zimbabwe with all its brains… as such we can’t be fooled by clueless, arrogant and corrupt leadership.”

This comes as Chiwenga repeated his anti-corruption attacks on Wednesday while burying three former liberation struggle fighters at Heroes Acre in Harare.

War veterans in Bulawayo have also been consistently expressing defiant opposition against Mnangagwa’s third term bid and his failed rule.

This has further shown there is a widespread and organised campaign against Mnangagwa by ex-combatants who are always allies of the military.

The war veterans’ stance has been seen as a significant challenge to Mnangagwa’s authority, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.

The battle lines are now drawn and Mnangagwa’s political brinkmanship with Chiwenga has exploded into the public domain, creating a politically volatile situation.

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