Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HARARE \u2013 A bitter war of words has erupted between former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa and a group of retired generals led by Air Marshal Henry Muchena, with Mliswa accusing the veteran military officer of playing a central role in the violence that followed Zimbabwe\u2019s disputed 2008 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exchange comes as debate intensifies over the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which among other provisions seeks to extend the presidential term and the life of Parliament. The retired generals recently made submissions to Parliament opposing aspects of the Bill, drawing sharp criticism from Mliswa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a blistering response, Mliswa alleged that Muchena and other senior military figures were implicated in the violent aftermath of the 2008 electoral runoff, a period widely documented for widespread intimidation, human rights abuses, and the loss of over 200 opposition activists\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese individuals carry the baggage of a checkered past, marked by violence inflicted upon countless innocents throughout the nation, a grim narrative chronicled in historical records,\u201d Mliswa stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He detailed specific allegations against the retired military leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn 2009, the very same military leaders, including Muchena, faced accusations of orchestrating a brutal campaign to secure President Robert Mugabe\u2019s hold on power during a contentious electoral runoff in June. The aftermath saw numerous villagers slain and thousands displaced,\u201d Mliswa charged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy 2013, Muchena was at the helm of the Zanu-PF Commissariat alongside Sydney Nyanungo, allegedly overseeing a violent quasi-military operation dubbed \u2018Operation Return to Zanu PF,\u2019 wherein many were victimized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mliswa argued that those now positioning themselves as defenders of constitutionalism had previously undermined democratic principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, political observers noted that Mliswa\u2019s remarks conspicuously did not reference President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was a cabinet minister at the time and took over as chairman of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) shortly after the 29 March 2008 elections, replacing Didymus Mutasa. Mnangagwa also served as Mugabe\u2019s chief election agent and has faced accusations of using the JOC to orchestrate the violent campaign that secured Mugabe\u2019s victory in the runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The allegations have resurfaced as the retired generals issued a statement rebuking Mliswa for criticising their intervention in the constitutional reform process. The group described Mliswa\u2019s earlier comments as \u201cirresponsible\u201d and \u201cdangerous,\u201d while defending their submission to Parliament as lawful and consistent with constitutional provisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The retired officials rejected criticism of their actions, maintaining that their engagement is driven by national interest. They have also dismissed suggestions that their intervention is politically motivated, insisting they remain committed to constitutionalism and the will of the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group has called for a referendum on any proposed constitutional changes, arguing that such decisions must rest directly with citizens rather than being decided solely by Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The escalating exchange is unfolding against the backdrop of growing debate over Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, which has triggered sharp divisions within Zanu-PF itself and drawn reactions from various sectors of society, including civil society, war veterans, and now retired military figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For continuous updates on this story and more, follow Zim GBC News across all platforms.
\u00b7 Get real-time alerts on WhatsApp: +263 773 820 323
\u00b7 X (Twitter): @ZimGbc
\u00b7 Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
\u00b7 TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01
\u00b7 Facebook: Zim GBC News
\u00b7 YouTube: Zim GBC News
\u00b7 Website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent HARARE \u2013 A bitter war of words has erupted between former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa and a group of retired generals led by Air… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12800,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12798\/revisions\/12800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}