CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
HARARE – The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association has demanded the renaming of Robert Mugabe International Airport to Herbert Chitepo International Airport accusing former President Mugabe of betraying Zanu PF’s political ideology by working with the MDC Alliance.
Addressing a press conference in Harare, today Victor Matemadanda, the association secretary general, said Mugabe had now joined forces with MDC leader Nelson Chamisa in opposing Zanu PF and therefore does not deserve any recognition from war veterans.
“We are marching to the Robert Mugabe International Airport tomorrow to demonstrate on the continued use of Mugabe’s name at our airport. As war veterans who fought for the independence of this country and brought democracy, we no longer want to be associated with Mugabe,” he said.
“We are going to hand over a petition to the relevant authorities about this matter. We are now likening Mugabe to Morrison Nyathi who betrayed freedom fighters during the war of liberation. He is the biggest traitor of the revolution struggle through his deeds and actions after November last year. “
Matemadanda said Mugabe was now one of the key advisors to Nelson Chamisa on political matters and was the brains behind the constitutional court petition challenge.
“Mugabe is Chamisa’s new mentor. We have information that he is now his political master and does not accept that President Emmerson Mnangagwa won the elections” he said.
“The elections are over… Zanu PF managed to get 145 seats and Mnangagwa won the presidential elections by 50,8 percent and we have Chamisa opposing it because he is being guided by Mugabe as they are now working together as political partners. This why we are divorcing him from Zanu PF and stripping him of his respected status as a political statesman,” said Matemadanda.
“As war veterans we cannot comment on the constitutional court case because it is before courts but we know the brains behind the presidential petition is Mugabe. This is the greatest betrayal by him since the armed struggle,” he said.
The War Veterans also castigated America or continued imposition of sanctions on the country.
“Zimbabwe may not want to worry about re-engaging America. But we will re-engage all other countries that are showing willingness to work with us based on mutual respect. We are indeed open for business, but not for business of being abused by the Americans with the continued imposition of punitive sanctions,” he said.
