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Zanu PF youth league jumps to Mugabe's defense against army threats

Zanu PF youth league jumps to Mugabe's defense against army threats

Zimbabwe

The youth league of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party has denounced the threats of the army against the party saying its interference is illegal.

The group said in a press conference on Tuesday that they are prepared to die in defense of their leader President Robert Mugabe in the face of threats by the army.

“We as Zanu PF Youth league are a lion which has awakened and found its voice, therefore we will not sit idly and fold our hands whilst cheap potshots and threats are made against Mugabe,” said the secretary of the youth league Kudzai Chipanga.

He told the media that “defending the revolution and our leader and president is an ideal we live for and if need be it is a principle we are prepared to die for”.

“This is an assault on our freedom as we now have a new constitution which places soldiers in barracks and civilian authority in power … The guns will follow the politics and not the politics following the guns. Cde Chiwenga therefore cannot be allowed to dictate who will lead the Party and the Country,” he added.

This was in direct response to the statement of the army commander General Constantino Chiwenga who called for an end to the purge of former liberation fighters in the party by people he described as counter-revolutionaries.

Chipanga cited the constitution which frowns against the military interfering in politics and advised them to do so.

“Conniving and conspiring to overthrow a constitutionally elected government is a crime in this country and anywhere in the world … The youth will stand guard in the defense of the revolution,” he emphasized.

The youth league rejected the claims by the army commander that war veterans are being attacked. They also disputed the position of the military that the instability of the party resulted in the country’s economic instability.

“We also note with concern that the renewal of the party and strengthening of its organs by replacing deadwood, traitors, looters and common criminals is being taken as an attack on war veterans,” they said, adding that those members were alligned with the sacked Vice President and Army Commander.

They accused General Constantino Chiwenga and former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa of being responsible for missing funds when the latter was Defense Minister.

Chipanga says General Chiwenga should first account for the missing US$15 billion together with ex-VP Mnangagwa as they presided over revenue from the country’s diamonds. ZiFMStereo 263Chat #ZANUPF pic.twitter.com/ZnAA0N7agY

— Garikai Fadzi (@gariefadzi) November 14, 2017

The presidency has not yet responded to the threats of the military.

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