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Former Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) commander, Jonh Gazi has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of sidelining former ZIPRA and fellows from main wing, Zimbabwe People’s Union (ZAPU)
He decried the pampering of formerly ZANU members with government positions and other material benefits.
Gazi, who is the chairperson of Nitram (Pvt) Limited, a holding company formed by the former freedom fighters from their demobilisation payments, said following the coming in of the new dispensation, former ZIPRA fighters were expecting more engagements from the new government.
ZIPRA cadres under the leadership of the late ZAPU president, Dumiso Dabengwa, played a key role in the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe.
“Some people are not very comfortable with ZIPRA and ZAPU. I will say this because we have questioned why they give prominence to the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) and ignore ZAPU; it doesn’t make sense,” he said.
“If at all we are going to fall on the Unity Accord and the new dispensation, we should have seen more engagements with ZAPU than these other parties.
“Some of these are not even parties but are individuals who just registered to run for the presidency. Whereas the original liberation movement was ZAPU before ZANU itself was formed.
“It’s high time our leaders recognise ZAPU as part of the liberation struggle,” said Gazi in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com soon after the ZIPRA Veterans‘s annual general meeting, which was held at Stanely Hall Saturday.
Gazi said during the meeting, ZIPRA cadres resolved to convene another meeting to discuss the issue of properties, which were forcibly grabbed by government during the height of the Gukurahundi.
“We came up with a number of resolutions, but one of the most crucial ones was that we must call an urgent meeting to bring to book the
Johny-Come-Late, who are going around saying we have taken so and so to court over the properties. These people are doing it piece meal which is not the proper way” said Gazi.
The properties were confiscated by the government under the Unlawful Organisation Act in 1982 (Caveat No. 15 of 82) and transferred to the President of Zimbabwe in January 1987 (under Caveat No. 56 of 87). New Zimbabwe
