FORMER war veterans’ leader, Jabulani Sibanda, has said his silence should not be viewed as a sign of weakness, as a time will come when he will hit back.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Sibanda’s comments come after George Mlala, a member of the war veterans council of elders accused him of plotting to unseat President Robert Mugabe and prop his then deputy, Joice Mujuru.
“There is one mistake they make — that we are quiet and they think we have nothing to say or we are lazy,” he said.
“We are quiet because we are principled.”
Mlala on Friday told Bulawayo war veteran leaders at Stanley Square, Makokoba, that Sibanda worked in cahoots with Mujuru to turn the war veterans against their patron, Mugabe.
Sibanda said while Mlala said negative things about him, there was enough evidence to show he (Sibanda) had related to Mugabe.
“Evidence of what I am speaks volumes, even Mugabe knows me better and more than he (Mlala) knows me,” he charged.
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“Mlala has been lying about Mujuru, about me and about Mutasa.
“When they say I wanted to usurp Mugabe’s powers, really? I do not remember when I ever sat down and discussed Mugabe.”
Sibanda said he had campaigned for Mugabe and the party, yet his accusers had no clear-cut history of political activism.
“They go around pretending to love Mugabe, but you cannot go around the country where I have gone and not know that I have been campaigning for Mugabe, for the presidency and the party. Where was Mlala when I was doing all this?”
Sibanda then became quite agitated, describing Mlala as “mad”, accusing him of saying defamatory things about him, although he would not sue as he had no property.
“He has made a lot of serious allegations against people and I am saying everyone who works with him is mad like him,” he said.
“A person of his age, who has no address.
“I think you cannot even sue him because he has nothing.
“I cannot stoop so low to comment about Mlala, he is totally nothing.
“Mlala and his team are a heap of very dry grass that is threatening (to catch) fire and the consequences are very clear.”
Sibanda was expelled from both the war veterans’ association and Zanu PF after he said ex-freedom fighters would not allow a bedroom or boardroom coup, as First Lady Grace Mugabe attacked Mujuru and demanded her resignation.
