Dabengwa Urges Army To Be Professional
Dabengwa’s call comes in the wake of recent statements this week made by Major General Martin Chedondo that soldiers in the country are supporters of President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party.
“As soldiers, we will never be apologetic for supporting Zanu (PF) because it is the only political party that has national interests.
“We cannot be seen supporting a political party that is going against the ideas of a nation, which came by a result of a liberation struggle that saw many of the country’s sons and daughters losing their lives,” Chedondo said while addressing soldiers at a pass out parade in Mutoko.
Dabengwa, a veteran of the liberation struggle and also former ZIPRA intelligence supremo said only an undisciplined and unprofessional army can engage in partisan politics.
“The army generals should resign from their positions if they want to join politics full time. There is nothing wrong in them joining politics but they cannot be politicians and civil servants at the sometime .The world over this are the norm” said Dabengwa in an interview with Radio VOP.
A National University of Science and Technology (NUST) lecturer, David Ncube said the military by its very nature has to be non –partisan, disciplined and through in its execution of duties, which is what the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe requires.
He said it is clear that Zanu (PF) is using the army generals to intimidate people ahead of a possible election this year.