A deepening rift between President Mugabe and the lawless militia that has helped to keep him in power is threatening to further destabilise Zimbabwe, even as the economy takes another downward turn.
The government said yesterday it would prosecute “traitorous” independence war veterans who have demanded Mr Mugabe’s resignation. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, which claims to have 50,000 members, issued a statement blaming the country’s economic crisis on “bankrupt leadership” which “needs to be uprooted right now”.
The war veterans have played a vital role in using violence to silence critics of the 92-year-old leader, but their loyalty has been tested by an acute currency shortage 059fe1bc-3bc1-11e6-a28b-4ed6c4bdada3 which, among other things, has prevented the government paying the army, police, doctors, nurses and teachers