Blow for Chimene and G40 as Mutsvangwa is confirmed legitimate leader of war veterans

Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister and the G40 faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front were dealt a severe blow when the High Court confirmed Christopher Mutsvangwa as the legitimate leader of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

According to Newsday, Chimene was ordered not to interfere with the war veterans’ activities or hold press conferences on behalf of the war veterans association.

Justice Helena Charehwa said: “Respondent (Chimene) and any other persons acting through her are, hereby, interdicted from holding themselves up as the interim or substantive leaders of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association.”

The move comes as war veterans have vowed not to let ZANU-PF be taken over by people without liberation credentials and are reported to have patched up their differences with former leader Jabulani Sibanda who was expelled from the party for accusing Grace Mugabe of staging a “bedroom coup”.

Mutsvangwa and his colleagues were expelled from ZANU-PF last year but have said that no one including President Robert Mugabe can expel war veterans from ZANU-PF because it is their organisation.

Mugabe can do whatever he wants with ZANU, they said. The PF added to ZANU represents war veterans from the former ZANLA and former ZIPRA.

Veterans national political commissar Francis Nhando is reported to have apologised to Sibanda on behalf of the national executive for not being quick to understand his statement.

“We want to say we are very sorry about our reactions to his statement,” Nhando was quoted as saying.

“We have realised that when he talked of ‘bedroom coup’ he was spot on because Grace and the so-called G40 have already usurped power from ZANU-PF. Grace is just a secretary for women affairs. Where does she have the powers to insult her boss, who is the vice secretary for the party?”

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