(NEWZIMBABWE) Pardon Makamba, Chinotimba urges Mugabe
05/12/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ZANU PF legislator, Joseph Chinotimba on Wednesday urged President Robert Mugabe to pardon James Makamba and allow the exiled businessman to return home.
Although other rumours are associated with his exile, Makamba left the country in 2005 after being charged with violating the country's exchange control regulations.
Speaking in Parliament, Chinotimba said Mugabe could use his presidential powers to allow the businessman and former Zanu PF Central Committee member and MP to return and help contribute the national development.
However Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa said there was nothing stopping Makamba from returning home.
He urged Chinotimba to pass on the message if he knew the businessman’s exact whereabouts.
“It is true what the honourable member has said that President Mugabe is a kind-hearted person but he has also never chased anyone from the country,” said Mnangagwa.
“If there is anyone who is outside the country then it is that person who knows the reason why they are outside. Maybe the honourable member (Chinotimba) may get in touch with him since he knows his whereabouts and find out why he is away.
“Zimbabwe is a peaceful country and everyone is welcome to come but if there is something wrong he (Makamba) did then maybe he would be afraid to come but it will be only him who knows that.”
Makamba skipped bail and fled the country while being prosecuted him on charges of allegedly externalising £3,7 million, US$2,1 million and R15 million.
The former ZBC disc jockey has interests in telecommunications, retail, mining and consultancy.
He led the local consortium which was awarded a licence to establish Telecel Zimbabwe, now the country’s second largest mobile telecoms company.
Labels: JAMES MAKAMBA, JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA
Read more...
Motion leaves legislators close to blows
October 17, 2013
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
A MOTION on the West’s illegal economic sanctions regime saw legislators almost trading blows yesterday, with altercations between Zanu-PF and MDC-T members lasting for about 30 minutes. The exchange of insults and threats only stopped when the Chamber got to its automatic adjournment time at 6:55pm when National Assembly Speaker Cde Jacob Mudenda announced the mandatory end of the debating time.
The altercation was triggered by Mbizo MP, Mr Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T) who provoked Buhera South MP Cde Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu-PF)
alleging that he murdered MDC-T supporters during the harmonised elections.
This occurred during a motion moved by Mberengwa East MP, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu-PF) calling for the National Assembly to write to Western countries to remove sanctions.
Despite admitting to the existence of sanctions in the GPA, and in spite of tacit admission by the sanctions-imposing countries that the embargoes will remain, MDC-T legislators continue denying the existence of sanctions.
The drama started when Mr Chikwinya took the floor to deny the existence of sanctions which he chose to call “restrictive measures”, he then read out names of people whom he claimed were “murdered by one Joseph Chinotimba in Buhera,” triggering a protest from Cde Chinotimba and other Zanu-PF legislators.
Cde Chinotimba charged at Mr Chikwinya pointing at him while Zanu-PF Chief Whip, Cde Joram Gumbo could be seen protesting as well, moving back and forth to the Speaker’s Chair shaking his head in anger.
The directive by Cde Mudenda ordering Mr Chikwinya to withdraw did not to help matters as Cde Chinotimba continued charging, protesting and pointing his finger at Mr Chikwinya, who on regaining the floor continued provoking Zanu-PF by making reference to violence saying he wanted to submit a document with evidence to form part of parliamentary record.
Cde Chinotimba seemed not have been satisfied by the order againt Mr Chikwinya to withdraw but wanted him to be ejected from the Chamber.
The heated exchange persisted as Zanu-PF legislators called for stern action against Mr Chikwinya while MDC-T legislators, led by Lobengula MP,Mr Sam Sipepa Nkomo protested that Cde Mudenda was not as firm to Zanu-PF MPs as he was to them.
“Parliament is not a place for criminal inquiries. Honourable Member has made some allegations that Hon Chinotimba murdered a person. If there are such issues Parliament is not the rightful place but should report to the police,” said Cde Mudenda.
After the 30-minute altercation, Cde Mudenda adjourned the House in terms of Standing Orders that provides for automatic adjournment at 6.55pm.
MDC-T Chief whip, Mr Innocent Gonese rose to protest why the House was being adjourned to next Tuesday instead of today but Cde Mudenda continued to move with his procession out of the Chamber.
Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma later issued a statement last night to the effect that the National Assembly had been adjourned to today and not to next Tuesday.
In his debate, Mr Hlongwane told the House that the European Union had violated the Cotonou Partnership Agreement that provided for dialogue before any measure could be taken.
Cde Hlongwane whose contribution was punctuated by emotions that drew a standing ovation from Zanu-PF MPs, and heckling from the MDC-T legislators invited the House to denounce them.
He chronicled the effects of the embargo on individuals and firms that have been affected. MDC-T legislators led by Hatfield MP, Mr Tapiwa Mashakada denied that there were sanctions, saying ‘restrictive measures’ were meted because of violence against white commercial farmers and MDC-T supporters.
Earlier on, Cde Mudenda shot down a motion by MDC-T that sought to have the July 31 2013 harmonised election investigated.
Gweru Urban MP, Mr Sessel Zvidzai had risen to give notice that he would want to move a motion to the effect that a parliamentary portfolio committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs investigate elections.
Cde Mudenda declined to allow the motion saying he wanted to study the constitutional implication of that motion. This again triggered protests from the MDC-T that lasted for about 10 minutes as legislators from the opposition party burst into song to derail business of the House.
Cde Gonese rose to protest that the motion had gone through all the requisite processes of Parliament but Cde Mudenda said as Speaker, he had the final say on the admissibility of any motion.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, MDC TREASON, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
Read more...
(NEWZIMBABWE) Chinotimba steals show in Parliament
Shooting from the hip ... Joseph Chinotimba addressing reporters earlier this year
25/09/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
BUHERA South MP Joseph Chinotimba injected much-needed vitality to the dour proceedings in Parliament on Tuesday, in the process surprising many with the lucidity of his debate contribution.
The colourful former leader of the war veterans’ association – whose picture showing him smiling through gapped front teeth while donning a thatch hat became one of the most iconic images of the land invasions – brought light relief to MPs debating the serious subject of President Robert Mugabe’s speech.
But the Zanu PF lawmaker, making his maiden speech following his election on July 31, had some serious contribution to make – away from the histrionics that accompany his delivery.
Parliament’s communication system seemed to fail as Chinotimba rose to speak, briefcase in hand.
Buhera is experiencing extreme poverty, the MP said, and the Agriculture Ministry must be given more money “without wasting time debating it”, he demanded.
The Grain Marketing Board, the government’s grain reserve, must be given more money in order to buy maize from farmers at a fair price, he said, warming to his theme.
“In Buhera, the terrible, potholed and impassable roads now have names. Ndinoona dzimwe nzvimbo dzirikuiswa tara pamusoro peimwe tara (Yet if you go to some parts of the country they are putting tarred roads on top of tarred roads),” he said, his whole contribution delivered in Shona.
While still on the issue of roads, Chinotimba turned to a sore point that many of the gathered MPs who have a rural home have been living with for the last 15 or so years following the looting and subsequent incapacitation of the District Development Fund (DDF).
Said Chinotimba: “ZINARA (Zimbabwe National Roads Administration) must not focus on repairing the tarred roads only. What about the dust roads? Who will fix those?”
Chinotimba then turned to corruption – a key theme of Mugabe’s government programme announced during the official opening of the first session of the eighth parliament on Tuesday last week.
“I applaud President Mugabe for his stance against corruption,” he said. “But the biggest question is where is corruption found? Corruption irikutangwa nevanhu vanemari, kwete vasina (Corruption starts with those with money, not the poor). If you look for corruption here in Parliament, you will find it,” he said, drawing laughter from the packed House.
“For example, if Zanu PF MPs laugh at MDC MPs, and MDC MPs laugh at Zanu PF MPs, that’s corruption!”
Chinotimba called on all Zimbabweans to “unite kuti zvinhu zvifambe”, before majestically walking away from the dispatch box, swinging his briefcase.
Other MPs stood up to make their contributions, but their thunder had been stolen by a man talking from the heart – just as those who elected him would want it!
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, MPs, PARLIAMENT
Read more...
Journalists have 'politics in their heads': Chinotimba
21/09/2012 00:00:00
by Paradzai Brian Paradza
WAR veterans’ leader Joseph Chinotimba accused journalists of being “full of politics in their heads” as he made a surprise appearance at a media analysis event in Harare on Thursday.
Chinotimba said journalists had become active political players by abandoning ethics.
“You are politicians not journalists,” he thundered as he spoke to about two dozen journalists at the forum organised by the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe.
“Why don’t you promote unity among Zimbabweans? You are encouraging conflict in the country; people are fighting because of your reporting. You are full of politics in your heads.
“President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai are drinking tea together; myself when I meet my opponent in Buhera constituency we laugh and share jokes, why are you not promoting peace?”
Chinotimba accused journalists of being pre-occupied with highlighting negative stories, while failing to put more weight to current efforts to correct past wrongs.
“Why are you not writing about the events in South Africa, the killing of miners by the police, you are all quiet? Imagine if that had happened in this country, it would have been a global crisis,” he added.
MMPZ Research and Monitoring Coordinator Eric Matingo said most journalists had abandoned ethics, leading to poor news content.
“As media consumers, we are worried about certain developments and trends. We have noticed a complete disregard of ethics and this has resulted in some media houses losing credibility and eventually readers,” he said.
“When we talk about accuracy, facts and balance we are talking of journalistic standards. Our appeal therefore is can you just be a journalists? Anything outside that is not journalism.”
MMPZ Director Andrew Moyes said while the political environment has contaminated journalism as a profession in the country, ethics must be upheld and adhered to religiously.
He said most journalists have become tainted in their view and appreciation of issues resulting in dramatisation and sensationalisation of issues.
“The political situation has contaminated the practice of journalism but we expect the media to give us balanced news not one-sided views,” said Moyes.
Participants at the forum condemned the country’s media laws for stifling the practice of journalism in the country. Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
War veterans seek audience with Biti
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association leaders have accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti of avoiding them when they want to discuss critical issues.
Minister Biti has on several occasions avoided meeting the war veterans to discuss their welfare. The war veterans' leadership visited Minister Biti's offices demanding soft loans for agricultural inputs. However, the war veterans led by Cde Joseph Chinotimba failed to meet the finance minister. He was
reportedly in a meeting elsewhere.
"What we want is money for inputs. We have the land but we do not have money for inputs.
"What is disturbing us is the Minister has been avoiding us for the past months and he is insensitive to our concerns.
"We can only put the blame on the honourable Minister if he doesn't act after meeting him rather than accusing him now. We want to meet him and iron out issues." Cde Chinotimba said the war veterans believed in dialogue.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
Chamisa defends Chinotimba laptop gift
01/09/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
INFORMATION Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa has defended his decision to give war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba a laptop under the country’s much-vaunted e–government computers programme. Chamisa has already parcelled out laptops to President Robert Mugabe, all cabinet ministers and their permanent secretaries.
It was revealed on Thursday that Chinotimba, the militant leader of the war veterans who achieved notoriety during the land invasions in 2000, had also benefited.
Chamisa said: “As you may know, as a government, we launched the ZimConnect document which is our e-government flagship. It’s a roadmap to make sure we increase literacy on ICT, turning our country from a techno-phobic to techno-savvy society which looks at a laptop as a daily requirement for workstyles and lifestyles.
“After we had given laptops to ministers, permanent secretaries and principal directors, Cde Chinotimba came to our offices with a group of other war veterans. They said as farmers they wanted laptops to use in their farming activities, and that fits very well with our programme. We want farmers to use internet to enhance productivity.
“We said look, to the extent that there is appetite from Cde Chinotimba, we will satisfy that appetite. So it happened that Cde Chinotimba’s hands were happy recipients of the goodness of this ministry.
“We are a government for everyone, we represent across the spectrum from the high end of society to the low end. Cde Chinotimba represents our being as a country, these are our war veterans we have to make sure that we empower them.”
Chinotimba, asked what he wanted to use the laptop for, shot back with typical humour: “What do you use laptops for? It is a government exercise for people and I want to write down all the farms we took under the land reform programme, and also to have names of the remaining farms so that we take them and give people like you.”
Chamisa said the programme would soon be expanded to cover MPs, police commanders, judges, prosecutors, councillors and chiefs.
He added: “We want to cascade this programme down to the whole population. We are also committed to the PC-per-classroom policy which we are shortly launching at Chogugudza High School in Mashonaland East.
“Wherever there is electricity, there is going to be internet connectivity.”
Chamisa says increased computer literacy and access to information communication technology will “send inconvenience and pain in people’s lives to an early grave”.
Advertisement
He added: “ICT is the only bridge that is going to help the underprivileged in our society to join the rest of the world. People up and down the country lose a lot of money and time doing things they could easily take care of at the click of a mouse.
“Why should someone from Tsholotsho, for instance, travel to Harare for a birth certificate and passport? My ministry’s mission is to change this and ensure that these services are available online.
“When we give out computers it’s not charity, we are not father Christmas. We are doing this for an objective.”
Chamisa said they had set up training centres in Harare and Bulawayo for government workers to improve their ICT skills.
“Empires of the future are empires of the mind. The highest result of education, the ultimate effect, is tolerance. Tolerance is good for society and good for development while ignorance has the worst side effects,” the minister added.
Zimbabwe has great potential for rapid internet and social media expansion. In June 2011, internetworldstats.com reported that nearly 1,5 million Zimbabweans (11.8% of the population) are internet users.
According to the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF), 24 % of urban adults have access to the internet and 83% of them use it at least once a week.
Zimbabwe’s largest cell phone service provider, Econet, launched Zimbabwe’s first 3G wireless broadband mobile phone service in 2010, allowing the 86% of Zimbabweans with mobile phones to access the internet and social media that way. Currently over 30% of Econet’s subscribers (1,8 million people) are now using this service.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, LAND REFORM, NELSON CHAMISA, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
War vets say no human rights lectures from Coltart
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:19 am
THE vice president of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans’ Association, Joseph Chinotimba, yesterday slammed Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart over his claims that there was genocide in Matabeleland.
Chinotimba dismissed the claims saying the only genocide in Zimbabwe had been perpetrated by Minister Coltart’s kith and kin against blacks during colonialism; who systematically killed people with black skin.
He said
Coltart was not qualified to talk about human rights in Zimbabwe and asked
why Coltart was quiet on the 50 000 "comrades" who were killed by Ian Smith during the Chimurenga war; in Nyadzonia and Chimoio, among other places.
"The article was a despicable attack on war veterans and all Zimbabweans.
"The utterances are unacceptable and an insult to our country’s liberation struggle, national reconciliation and the legacy of national independence."
Chinotimba said Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu had merged to form a united Zanu-PF in 1987 and the spirit of reconciliation was being cultivated in Zimbabwe; but the minister was trying to stir up controversy for political gains.
He added that a "man like Coltart cannot preach human rights to us, we brought democracy to that country which the whites denied us for very long in our own country."
"If Coltart wants to open up old wounds, let him come out in the open," said Chinotimba.
"It is quite preposterous in the extreme for Coltart to preach about human rights violations and post-independence disturbances when taking into cognisance his background as a former member of the brutal and murderous Rhodesian Selous Scouts," he said.
He added: "Coltart owes us and the rest of the nation an apology within seven days. We cannot continue folding our hands and watch former Rhodesians insulting us.
"Your utterances have given us second thoughts on those white farmers who are still on our land yet you benefited from the reconciliation policy."
In a separate interview with NewsDay, Chinotimba said the war veterans will never salute MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai even if he won elections.
He said Tsvangirai should salute those people who brought independence and democracy to Zimbabwe, which they were denied by the minority white governments.
"He (Tsvangirai) should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem," said Chinotimba.
Chinotimba said whites used free and cheap labour on the farms they stole from blacks, and black resettled farmers are paying those people and their dignity has now been restored.
"When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water," said the angry Chinotimba.
When asked about divisions among war veterans, Chinotimba said the only divisions he knows are those in the MDC.
""Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?'he asked.
Labels: DAVID COLTART, JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
Interview: Joseph Chinotimba
by Veneranda Langa
08/11/2010 00:00:00
JOSEPH Chinotimba says in a new interview that war veterans, whom he leads, want President Mugabe declared "life President" in the new Zimbabwe constitution which is at drafting stage.
Chinotimba (JC) tells NewsDay's Veneranda Langa (ND) that he entertains ambitions of being Education Minister, but has no interest in the presidency: "It would take me 3,000 years to reach that position."
ND: President Robert Mugabe has announced that the country will go for elections in June 2011; do you think the country is ready for those elections?
JC: My view is that Mugabe is 100% right. We need elections soon in this country, whether other people want it or not. We become surprised when we hear other leaders in the GNU saying they do not want elections.
ND: But they have said they want elections in a free and fair environment?
JC: It is not true that there was intimidation during elections. People should now choose whoever they want.
ND: Are you saying the environment for elections has always been free and fair?
JC: Even in court when someone is accused of stealing they deny the charge. As I see it myself, the previous elections were free and fair.
Even when you study the American elections, you will find that they also disagree.
However, Zimbabwe is the only country where people say elections are not free and fair.
In Afghanistan, where there was a lot of killing the Americans said the elections were free and fair.
I can confirm to you that there are many war veterans who were killed and beaten up by MDC supporters during elections. So, let us go for the elections.
ND: Supposing Morgan Tsvangirai wins the elections, are you going to endorse the results and salute him?
JC: If I cannot vote for Tsvangirai, how can I salute him?
Mugabe will win, but if Tsvangirai wins the elections, he should know that war veterans brought independence and he is the one who is supposed to salute us. It would be very dangerous for him to expect that we will salute him.
How can people who did not vote for Tsvangirai salute him?
He should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem.
Even the British know that the two MDC factions should salute war veterans and if they do not do that, it would be a big mistake.
We will only salute Mugabe because we suffered together with him in the bush and we have never been cowards. As war veterans we will only salute leaders who are war heroes.
ND:What are your sentiments on life presidency for Mugabe?
JC: What is the problem with that?
If he dies today, would we not say he was a life president?
We do not know when he is going to die and why should we start asking why he is not dying? We are not talking about death here; we are talking of someone with leadership qualities to be a life president.
What we are saying is that Mugabe should always be there for the benefit of Zanu PF. We still need him even if it takes 20 more years.
In the new Constitution, the people should indicate that they want Mugabe to be life president. How can we stop people from saying that when it is their wish?
Right now, we do not have anyone with leadership qualities in the country like Mugabe and so he must remain President.
War veterans say that he is our leader because we were together in the war.
ND: Is it true that there is factionalism amongst war veterans?
JC: War veterans have no factions. War vets will always be war veterans. If we were divided into factions, we would have a situation like the one in MDC where there is MDC-T and MDC-M.
Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?
We are united; it is only the Selous Scouts who want to divide us like the Minister of Education, David Coltart. We do not have two names.
Even those war veterans who are in the MDC factions work for us and we planted them there.
Even the war veterans who are in leadership positions in Zanu PF work for us. We send people to do our work in political parties.
ND: Do you have any political ambitions for high-ranking government posts?
JC: I can be an MP, senator or minister, especially the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sports and Culture. I can handle that one; it is a very good post for me.
I cannot be President myself because we already have a President. When he dies then we will have another President. It would take me 3 000 years to reach that position. The Presidency is for Mugabe, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Vice-President John Nkomo and they will succeed each other by death. That is what we do in Zanu PF.
ND: But you are young and when all these people are no longer available to take the post of Presidency, would you not be interested?
JC: We do not know when they are going to die and we are not prophets.
As a child you cannot be too ambitious to want to take your father’s position whilst he is still alive.
That is witchcraft and I cannot comment on that.
The only position I want is to be Minister of Education, or even the Ministry of Lands.
ND: Would you agree that the land reform programme spearheaded by the war veterans was chaotic?
JC: That is a Coltart style of talking and that is cheap politics. People are doing very well in the farms.
When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
War vets approach Biti over pensions
by
06/05/2010 00:00:00
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti on Thursday promised war veterans regular payments of their pensions after a holding a meeting with the ex-fighters who are also demanding that the monthly allowances be increased from US$50 to US$600.
The war veterans, led Joseph Chinotimba, went to Biti's office demanding that the government resume payment their monthly allowances which were cut off last year due to lack of funds in government coffers. Biti urged patience insisting the government did not have the resources to offer the demanded increase.
"Our economy is not yet performing. We need to wait a bit," the minister said describing the meeting as 'friendly'. Chinotimba said his members were not looking for a fight with Biti but wanted to discuss ways of alleviating the suffering of the former liberation fighters.
"He is an MDC (Biti), I am Zanu (PF) but he is in the GNU (Government of National Unity) so he deals with everyone, we did not come here to fight Biti, what we want is money," Chinotimba said.
In a letter addressed to the minister, the war veterans said they were wallowing in poverty adding efforts to clarify the issue with the Ministry of Defence’s Department of War Veterans Affairs had not been successful.
“It is disappointing to note that despite numerous efforts to get these monies, nothing fruitful has come out.
“The ministry that is responsible for administering these funds has openly and clearly pointed out that they have not received any allocations from the Ministry of Finance, the ministry you head,” the letter read in part.
The war veterans said they were also angered by the fact that while they failed to access their money, Minister Biti had made allocations to the ministries of Housing and Social Amenities as well as that for Information Communication Technology.
“War veterans are suffering and they are being taken for granted by these people. So we are saying we should act now before we die of hunger. What is housing and ITC when the comrades are hungry?” Chinotimba asked.
In 1997, following massive strikes by the war veterans, the government was forced to dish out ZW$50 000 to every former combatant for their role in the liberation of the country. In addition they were receiving monthly allowances and school fees for their children.
However the authorities have failed to sustain the monthly payments as the economy struggles to recover from years of decline.
Public sector workers have also been quite restive but treasury officials insist the economy is not generating enough funds to allow a significant review of salaries with the government wage bill said to be taking more than 70 percent of revenues.
The problem has been worsened by the unavailability of credit lines needed to boost activity in the productive sectors and the reluctance of western donors to provide substantive support to the country’s coalition government.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, PENSIONERS, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
War veterans fight for control of association
by Lebo Nkatazo
03/03/2010 00:00:00
THE war veterans’ association has been thrown into turmoil following a bid to oust its leader, Jabulani Sibanda, by a rival group led by his deputy, Joseph Chinotimba.
Chinotimba, who is backed by the association’s secretary general Alex Mudavanhu, says 11 members of the national executive met and decided to pass a no-confidence vote in Sibanda.
Mudavanhu said of Sibanda: “I think power had over-powered him. He was going solo on almost everything, taking decisions on his own. We as national executive members heard some of the decisions through the grapevine. This is not right.
“The association has a constitution, which stipulates how it must be run. That was not being done. He was running it with four hangers-on, excluding the executive.”
Mudavanhu said Sibanda’s removal would stand up to any scrutiny because “he was dealt with in terms of our constitution”.
But confusion reigned this week when Sibanda, backed by at least five of the 10 provincial executives, rejected his purported ouster as “shadow boxing”.
He said as chairman, he was not aware of any national executive meeting which had voted to oust him.
Sibanda said: “It’s only you guys (in the media) who will be surprised by Chinotimba’s shadow boxing in the dark.”
Sibanda inferred Chinotimba and his rebel group had mental health problems.
The war veterans association indefinitely postponed its congress on January 27. Only the congress can make substantive appointments to the national executive, which means if Chinotimba wins the battle for control, he would only be an acting chairman.
Mudavanhu said Chinotimba had been tasked with convening a congress.
Labels: JABULANI SIBANDA, JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
War veterans to resist repossession of farm implements
Herald Reporter
WAR veterans have vowed to resist any attempt to repossess tractors and other farm implements distributed under Government’s Farm Mechanisation Programme.
This comes amid reports that
some people want beneficiaries of the four phases of the Farm Mechanisation Programme to return the implements for redistribution by an as yet unnamed authority.
In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association vice chairman Cde Joseph Chinotimba said war veterans have been disturbed by suggestions that the equipment should be returned.
"These statements are quite disturbing and all our members would do whatever is necessary to keep the equipment we received from Government," he said.
In a statement on motor vehicle allocation to MPs and other issues relating to quasi-fiscal operations on Monday, RBZ Governor Dr Gideon Gono, said there were suggestions in some quarters that all farming equipment, inputs and implements distributed by the central bank since 2007 should be returned for re-distribution by some competent authority elsewhere.
Cde Chinotimba however questioned who these people are and on whose authority they were calling for the return of the equipment.
"If it is the Finance Minister (Tendai Biti) calling for the return of the tractors then he is trying to work against the inclusive Government by trying to disturb the peace we are enjoying in the country," Cde Chinotimba said.
He said war veterans had accepted the current political dispensation despite what they went through during the liberation struggle. "This is an agenda to try to raise the ire of the war veterans so that when we raise our voices, then it is reported that we want to disrupt the operations of the inclusive Government," he said.
The war veterans’ leader said the former freedom fighters would never back down on the issues of land. He challenged Government to clear the air on the latest development, failing which the war veterans would be left with no choice but to besiege the Finance Ministry.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, LAND REFORM, MDC, MECHANISATION, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS
Read more...
