The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) says the government must stop making “idle threats” against its people and accusing them of carrying out subversive activities.
Instead, the government should address the issues that are causing citizens to voice their discontent.
ZNLWVA chairperson Andreas Ethan Mathibela said the government was threatening the country due to its failure to address economic, political, and social issues.
Mathibela’s sentiments follow the government’s claims on Friday that the opposition, some politicians, and certain Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are attempting to “instigate anarchy and despondency.”
The Ministry of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage released a combined statement threatening people engaging in “subversive activities” that “their days are numbered.”
“This is in line with their well-documented modus operandi to seek attention and raise funding to try to resurrect their political careers through subverting the will of the people. Therefore, as Government, we are warning perpetrators of these serial choreographed theatrics who are involved in subversive activities aimed at undermining the rule of law that their days are numbered and that their lawless plans will never see the light of day,” said Information Minister Jenfan Muswere.
“Law enforcement agencies will not hesitate to apprehend all those who undermine the justice delivery system through causing chaos and mayhem. Finally, the Government is assuring members of the public that the security forces have adequate capacity to maintain law and order in terms of the constitutional mandate.”
Responding to questions at the Bulawayo Media Centre on Friday, the ZNLWVA chairperson described such statements as “idle threats” by a government that feels threatened.
“We must deal with national issues. A security threat comes as a result of an uneven playing field by the government, where it partially accepts some and admits others as friends while deeming others as enemies,” Mathibela said.
“As long as there’s that kind of subtle division, unity of purpose will not prevail.”
Mathibela, who is facing challenges from a faction of the war veterans, said his executive was not doing anything subversive by demanding accountability from the government.
“Whatever we are doing is open. We invite all, including the security cluster, to attend our meetings because the agenda will be very clear. I trained for many years in security, I know the definition of subversion. For someone who is not pleased, someone who feels threatened, he or she will deem challenges as subversive. I think that is a misnomer,” he said. The war veterans’ leader stated that the government is not under threat from anyone, let alone his executive, who want accountability.
“We are not threatening the government or this country, even the ruling party or any other political party in this country. All we are saying is that this country is not doing well economically, politically, and socially, and we want to be part of the solution,” Mathibela said.
“We have even come up with some solutions to collaborate with the government. We wrote many letters. I recall one to the president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to say we would want to work with the government. We were not responded to.”
Mathibela said the ZNLWVA physically visited the president’s special adviser, Joram Gumbo, appealing to see the president but were not granted access.
“He (the president) has been avoiding us. When you avoid your children, where do you expect your children to go at the end of the day? We don’t feel scared that we shall be dealt with because we are not doing anything in that definition (of subversion),” said the ZNLWVA chairperson.
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