MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE’S government has handed cars to leaders of the liberation struggle, in a move seen as a reward for their role in ensuring the election of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president in the July 30
elections.

The war veterans campaigned vigorously for Mnangagwa and the governing Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF).

Obert Mpofu, ZANU-PF secretary for administration, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs, handed over the new cars to ten provincial chairpersons of the veterans at the party’s headquarters in Harare.

He said the veterans, who fought a bitter struggle against colonialism by Britain, were a ZANU-PF affiliate.

“Affiliate doesn’t mean you are a lesser component of the party. You are the main component of the party when it comes to the liberation of this country,” Mpofu said.

He urged the war veterans not to remove the ZANU-PF branding on the cars.

“I understand some comrades thought these branding will compromise their work. No! ZANU-PF is in power. ZANU-PF is in government,” Mpofu added.

He said the vehicles would make it easy for the veterans to mobilise people in their respective provinces.

War veterans have been a pillar of ZANU-PF’s 38-year stranglehold on power.

They fronted a violent land reform campaign in 2000 in which the former freedom fighters invaded white owned commercial farms.

Alongside ZANU-PF youth and traditional leaders, they are accused of unleashing violence against opposition supporters.

The handing in of vehicles comes barely a week after the ZANU-PF led government rewarded more than 90 traditional leaders with new vehicles.

Mnangagwa’s government has been criticised for the donations considering the Southern African country’s economic problems.

– CAJ News