War veterans urge Zimbabweans to uphold peace and unity
HARARE — The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) on Saturday called on Zimbabweans to remain committed to the principles of peace, unity, and development, warning against forces they say threaten the country’s founding values.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare, ZNLWVA leaders distanced themselves from recent attempts by some war veterans to mobilize protests against ZANU PF and the association’s patron, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Addressing reporters, ZNLWVA spokesperson Cde Samuel Getbusy Mhlanga commended Zimbabweans for ignoring calls by what he described as rogue elements among the former fighters to engage in civil unrest.
“As war veterans, we were taught that we can only actualize development and prosperity through embracing one another in peace and unity. We were never taught to name-call or disrespect our comrades as well as our leadership. That is unlike what we stand for as the liberation war veterans.
“We wonder why Cde Blessed Geza continues to embarrass himself by trying to coerce the people of Zimbabwe to share his bitterness. You rejected the call for demonstrations on 31 March 2025. You further disregarded his calls for such on 22 and 23 April 2025. This is a lesson for him and his clique of friends who intend to lead the people of Zimbabwe along a retrogressive path. People of Zimbabwe, when we won the liberation war against the white minority rule, we were guided by the principle of ‘Peace, Unity, And Development.’ This became a torch that led us through various forms of struggles from 1980 to date,” said Cde Mhlanga.
ZNLWVA Chairman Cde Moffat Marashwa echoed the sentiments, stressing that discipline and mutual respect were key to achieving the goals set out in Vision 2030, the government’s economic roadmap towards upper-middle-income status.
“It is also through peace and unity that we can amicably resolve thorny issues among ourselves and be an example to our future generations. We can never resolve issues by burning cars and committing arson, blocking roads, burning tyres, and threatening people, among other retrogressive methods.
“Going forward, we urge all progressive Zimbabweans to continue shunning anti-revolutionary tendencies and the sell-out mentality that is disguised as nationalism. If we can refer you back to a clip on Heart and Soul, where Geza was a guest, he displayed his hunger for wealth and extravagance. To that effect, Geza declared that he wanted big cars and security aides, among other benefits, and said if he was denied that, he would orchestrate regime change,” Cde Marashwa said.
The war veterans further accused Geza of undermining the values that guided Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, urging him to stop using the names of senior government and military officials for personal agendas.
“Cde Geza should desist from name-dropping of the defence forces, senior peace-loving ZANU PF leadership, and some members of the Presidium. As former armed wings of ZANU PF and PF-ZAPU, we entrusted the governance of this country to the united ZANU PF. It is a matter of principle that, should we have any grievances, we should explore the provisions and ways that are available and not behave as rogue and uncivilized individuals.
“We therefore heartily thank the revolutionary people of Zimbabwe for remaining resolute and ignoring the calls for anarchy as called by GEZA and his fellow members,” they said.
