Staff Reporter

Youths have been urged to embrace war veterans so as to ensure a smooth and patriotic generational transition of power and ideologies.

Speaking on the side lines of the ZANU PF War Veterans League conference in Harare, Cde Paul Chigango, whose nom de guerre was Sando Mponda said youths should embrace the war veterans to ensure that Zimbabwe goes through a smooth generational transition.

He said the knowledge and experience that the liberation fighters possessed should be imparted to the youths to ensure that Zimbabwe moves forward with a well disciplined and patriotic people.

“Chandinokurudzira vechidiki ngavarege kutarisa sekuti isusu tine zvatinoda kuvatorera. Tiri kutotarisira kuti tivape chimuti, vasare vaine chimuti kuitira kuti zvatakasangana nazvo ivo vakwanise kuve vanozviziva. Vagotora zvatakaita vasanganise nezvitsva zvavanofungidzira kuti zvinofanira kunge zvichiitika kuti nyika yeZimbabwe ikwanise kubudirira (Youths should not view us in bad light  as though there is something we wish to take away from them. Our goal is to impart to them the knowledge of our time so that they know what transpired. When they fuse this knowledge with their modern ways,  it should guide them to make decisions for a better and prosperous Zimbabwe),” said Cde Chigango.

In another interview, Juluino Fombe, a delegate from Mozambique’s ruling party FRELIMO expressed optimism in the stance taken by the Second Republic. He said that it was vital for African countries to understand  and preserve their history so as to guarantee a well-crafted prosperous future.

“As Africa, we should learn from the steps taken by the Zimbabwe Government. The sacrifices made by the liberators and cold war tactics of divide and rule employed by the enemy are some of the few things that we should learn from them. If we do this, we will cleverly craft a prosperous future for ourselves and generations to come,” said Fombe.

The ZANU PF War Veterans’ League Conference is running from 8-10 September at the Harare International Conference Centre, Harare under the theme ‘Force of the past power of the present inspiration of the future’. Political commentators have also dubbed this new ZANU PF wing as a renewal of strength for the ruling party.

Other African countries that have honoured their veterans include South Africa, Ghana, Namibia and Botswana. These countries have encompassed their veterans to be part of their political and defence advisers.