Government critic and Ntabazinduna Chief Felix Ndiweni has hit back at deputy defense minister Victor Matemadanda saying the war veteran stalwart is just but singing for his supper.
This comes on the back of Matemadanda who yesterday warned chief Ndiweni that he is playing with fire which he will not be able to stand as his remarks at a press club in Bulawayo to the effect that President Mnangagwa’s days as President were numbered are becoming a security threat.
Writing on his micro-blog Twitter Tuesday morning, Ndiweni questioned Matemadanda’s rationale about the suffering of the masses which has been worsening since the downfall of long serving despot; Robert Mugabe saying the security threat must be understood in the context of citizens’ welfares.
“Secretary general of the war veterans has labelled me Chief Ndiweni as a security threat. Question to you Victor Matemadanda is between us. Who is a security threat, considering citizens are now worse off than they were and you sing for your meal,?” he wrote.
Matemdanda yesterday unleashed venom on the state critic chief Ndiweni saying the traditional custodian should just join politics to become full time political activist something he is not permissible to do under the traditional chiefs constitutional provisions.
“This so called chief, is starting a fire that is not going to be able to quench. But obviously he is playing to the gallery. He wants people to react. He knows that there nothing he is going to do to stop ED’s leadership. But he is just trying to make news so that people respond to him and he is in the limelight.
“It is unfortunate that in a country you have such caliber of people as chiefs. And you even wonder what happens to the tribe that is supposed to be taking the chieftainship. Do they not have a better person to take the chieftainship? It is not wise for the chief to try and involve himself in politics. If he wants to be involved in politics, let him come. Form or join a political party and then we meet him in the ballot box rather than trying to cause security threats and problems. We will not allow and accept that to happen,” Matemanda said.
Zimbabweans across social networks have however come in defense of Chief Ndiweni calling Matemadanda to order as his party Zanu PF has been receiving endorsements from Chief Council President Fortune Charumbira without rebuking him.
Charumbira has several times deified the constitutional provisions that call for traditional chiefs to be apolitical by rallying the electorate to vote for the ruling party in the run up to the July 2018 elections and even beyond.
