By Snodia Mawupeni |War veterans and former military officials have joined the Zanu PF fray in party primary elections scheduled for next month, Zimeye.com can exclusively reveal.
This is inspite of recent fresh demands by the United States of America that relations with Zimbabwe will normalise only after certain conditions among them to do with the delimitarisation of national politics being met.
US President Donald Trump has recently “extended sanctions against Zimbabwe for another year”, saying that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration “remained a threat to Washington’s foreign policy”.
Zanu PF party insiders in Hurungwe district told ZimEye.com ahead of today’s CV deadline submission.
One youth leader said, ‘We have had many potential candidates among them war veterans as well as former soldiers as party candidates. These are hardly known and hard to sell to some supporters.’
According to insiders, some war veterans are pushing to have a quota approved ahead of primaries to represent the party in forth-coming harmonised elections.
Elections are likely to be held before August.
Sources revealed that Hurungwe District war veterans chairperson Joseph Manjengwa Seremani is vying for Hurungwe East where ex-soldiers Retired Col Masenda, Col Patrick Maponga are among those who also submitted their CVs.
“These are pushing to be accepted to fight in that constituency left vacant after Sarah Mahoka was fired from the party in January,” added a provincial member who declined to be named.
Insiders said a South African based educationist Chenjerai Kangausaru a close ally of First Lady Auxillia Mngagwagwa visited Karoi’s Hurungwe Children’s Home in January will not make it.
‘Kangausaru will not make it because he contested as an independent in 2013 against Mahoka and will never make it in Hurungwe East,’ added our sources.
Kangausaru tried to steal the show during Mngagwagwa visit by donating ‘groceries’ to the home.
Hurungwe Central has former soldier and provincial member of war veterans Tichaona Mudarikwa to fight incumbent Godfrey Beremauro among others, according to our sources.
Silas Chimbiro who is provincial secretary for administration is also vying for the same seat.
District secretary for information and publicity Anthony Zunzanyika wanted to contest in Hurungwe East but switched base to Hurungwe North together with another war veteran Stephen Karenga and a former soldier and Central Intelligence Officer identified as Tsungai Chivheya.
They will fight incumbent Reuben Marumahoko who has vowed not to allow war veterans in the disguise of campaigning for President Emerson Mngagwagwa while gaining political space, according to our sources.
Zunzanyika denied that he is contesting.
‘As war veterans we are campaigning for President ED. I cannot comment for others who have their democratic right to contest in politics like everyone else,’ said Zunzanyika.
Manjengwa and Mudarikwa were accused of abusing Command Agriculture inputs scheme for political gains.
He denied that war veterans were doing this for personal achievements.
‘As war veterans we have been trying to assist the masses where inputs abuse was rampant,’ said Manjengwa.
But sources said war veterans and former army officers are ‘hard to sell’ products to the electorate.
‘We face a challenge as some of these aspiring candidates are hardly known besides their claims that they are popular,’ added a youth member who said as youths they are fighting for their own space.
However, a provincial member confirmed that some of the war veterans have dark shadows following them and want to use politics to hide.
‘We suspect that some aspiring candidates have criminal charges over their heads and want to contest as a cover-up for their actions,’ added a provincial member.
It has been revealed that some ex-army officers want to ‘jump the gun’ amid indications that soldiers played a critical role during the November 17 coup last year when former president Robert Mugabe was forced to resign.
This gave a new life to war veterans side-lined by former first lady Grace Mugabe and her G40 faction whose kingpins Prof Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwawo are now in exile.