Zimbabwe war veterans go on trial for undermining President Mugabe's authority
Source: IBTimes
The trial of five Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) executive members accused of undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe starts today (22 November).
In a landmark move on 21 July, the ZNLWVA, which has supported the long-serving leader since he came to power in 1980 and was known for responding violently to those who oppose his government, released a statement explaining why it was withdrawing its backing for him. The association, which blames Mugabe for the poor economy, said its members would not longer support the president in elections in 2018.
Following the association's break up from Mugabe, four top veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war were expelled from the ruling Zanu-PF party. Prosecutor Audrey Chogumaira last month announced that investigations into the matter were complete and confirmed their trial would start on 22 November.
The accused are the association's secretary-general Victor Matemadanda, ZNLWVA spokesman Douglas Mahiya, the association's political commissar Francis Nhando, chairman deputy Headman Moyo, and Hoyini Samuel Bhila, the association's Harare chapter deputy chair.
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