Military takeover welcome in the circumstances, says Zimbabwe Communist Party

The Zimbabwe Communist Party (ZCP) and the War Veterans Association have welcomed the military takeover in the country.

The ZCP said that while military action could not be condoned under normal circumstances, the takeover by the army in the country had been welcomed by the majority of Zimbabweans.

The party said this was because the country had an undemocratic political system that was characterised by looting by the political elite and economic degeneration.

"The politico-military action taken by the Zimbabwe National Army is the result of the chaotic state of Zimbabwe as a whole and the ruling party, Zanu (PF), in particular. The extravagant lifestyles of the ruling elite contrast sharply with the extreme poverty of the majority of the Zimbabwean people," general secretary Ngqabutho Mabhena said on Wednesday.

The party also called for a transitional arrangement that would ensure a peaceful, free and fair election "within a reasonable time frame".

ZCP was also willing to engage with a new government once it’s in place to establish areas of mutual concern and possible agreement in the interest of taking the country forward.

However, Victor Matemadanda, the secretary-general of Zimbabwe’s War Veterans Association, has gone further than the ZCF, calling for President Robert Mugabe to be removed as the country’s leader and as first secretary of the ruling Zanu (PF) party.

With Reuters