War Vets League congress roadmap laid out
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THE Zanu-PF Harare Provincial Co-ordinating Committee met yesterday to plan the inaugural conference of the War Veterans’ League set for month end where leaders of the party’s new and fourth wing will be selected.
The War Veterans League, according to the members, comprises fighters from Zanla and Zipra who fought in the liberation war. Voting during the conference to be held from August 25 to August 27 in Harare this year, is exclusive to the ex-fighters from the two armies. War collaborators will not participate.
The development will see the War Veterans League becoming part of Zanu PF structures. Since Independence, the party had three wings: Main Body, Women’s League and Youth League.
Participants have already registered from district level with elections starting from this low level to the national executive, which will be elected during the congress.
Addressing the PCC meeting yesterday, Secretary for the War Veterans League in Politburo, Cde Douglas Mahiya, said the league was formed in recognition of the role played by the combatants during the liberation struggle.
“The party acknowledges the role played by Zanu and Zapu political parties in spearheading the liberation struggle. The organs of the two political Parties comprised the Main Body, Women, and Youth Wings.
“In addition to these two wings, Zanu and Zapu had military organs, namely Zanla and Zipra, which executed the war.
“After Independence, Zanu and Zapu signed the 1987 Unity Accord which resulted in the creation of Zanu PF,” said Cde Mahiya.
“Zanu PF embraced the two wings namely, Women, and Youth but did not incorporate the military organ that had existed during the liberation struggle.
“In that regard, the Central Committee meeting of November 2017 resolved that the party should have a War Veterans League in recognition of the role played by Zanla and Zipra combatants in liberating the country and safeguarding the revolution.
“To that end, the Central Committee once again in 2019 implemented the 2017 resolution by adopting the creation of the War Veterans League as an integral part of the party, Zanu PF”.
Speaking at the same occasion, Harare Provincial Chairman Cde Godwills Masimirembwa urged all ex-combatants to register for the upcoming congress.
“All war veterans, in fact, all those who fought in the liberation struggle that is Zanla and Zipra ex-combatants here in Harare must register for this election structure which will bring about a wing at the party district level and provincial wing of the war veterans,” said Cde Masimirembwa.
The registration of war veterans is being conducted through Cde Kudakwashe Damson who is the provincial political commissar. Herald