Join Zanu (PF) For Your Protection-Zipra veterans

The Zipra war veterans who spoke to Radio Vop on conditions they were not identified said they have split from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Associations (ZNLWVA) headed by Jabulani Sibanda  and are currently re-organising their party structures in resettlement areas around Tengwe 50 km east of Karoi town in preparation for elections.

The war veterans also confirmed the deployment of the army in the rural areas of Mashonaland West.During the liberation war Zipra guerrillas who had military bases in Zambia operated in Hurungwe, Makonde and Kariba tribal trust lands-as they were known during the colonial Rhodesian rule.

“ We are busy restructuring our support base in preparation for the next elections and we are convinced our party, Zapu will win some seats here, ” said one of the Zipra veterans.Zapu split from Zanu (PF) IN 2008 on the grounds that the unity accord signed in 1987 between Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe was no longer serving any useful purpose.

The party is now led by Dumiso Dabengwa who headed Zapu,s intelligence organ, the National Security Organisation (NSO) during the liberation war.

” We are concerned about the government,s decision to freeze pensions of some of our members.This is another Zanu (PF) way of manipulating voters, ” said another Zipra veteran.