Harare — PRESIDENT Mugabe has told the feuding Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association leadership to stop abrogating constitutional procedures and organise a congress to settle their dispute.

At a meeting with editors of media houses operating in the country at Zimbabwe House last Thursday, President Mugabe said he expected war vets to stop talking through the media.

"They should all be silent and go to a meeting and elect a leadership at congress," he said in reference to conflicting statements emanating from leadership camps led by Cdes Jabulani Sibanda, Joseph Chinotimba and Basten Beta.

Cde Chinotimba has claimed the chairmanship of the association from Cde Sibanda, while Cde Beta has said he will wait for a congress to elect a new executive.

Earlier, Cde Beta had opposed Cde Sibanda's leadership with Cde Chinotimba at the time supporting the latter.

President Mugabe said the divisions started after the 2008 harmonised elections when a group led by Cde Beta approached him and said they would not "lose what we got through the bullet through the ballot".

He said he impressed upon them the need to observe the importance of the ballot.

However, President Mugabe said, they did not hold any such meeting and instead formed a group they called Mwana Wevhu.

"They wanted to hold separate conferences and we said no to that. We said we wanted them to sit down and unite and discuss who they wanted to lead them.

"We had a meeting and they agreed not to proceed with separate congresses.

"Jabulani was not present, Chinotimba was there at that meeting and he (Cde Sibanda) went on to announce that their congress would go on," President Mugabe said.

He said Cde Sibanda tried to hold his congress but was blocked by police from doing so.

"They then all agreed to have one congress though they complained. We thought that they were now more together.

"But midway Chinotimba oti ndatora simba . . . Ko rinongonokorwa senzungu? Ndi Chinotimba atimbaka apa? Jabulani says there are no changes."

Now there were reports that some of the provinces were supporting Cde Sibanda.

Five of 10 provinces have said they still recognise Cde Sibanda's chairmanship.

Manicaland yesterday dismissed Cde Chinotimba's "boardroom coup" calling it a move by a "power-hungry individual".

Manicaland provincial chairperson Cde Vladimir Mukada said: "The vote of no confidence against Cde Sibanda was unprocedural and it is a reflection of cowardice since it was done outside the constitutional forum."

Cde Mukada said Cde Chinotimba was the association's disciplinary committee chairman and if there was any misunderstanding with the chairman, he was supposed to summon and charge him with misconduct.

He accused Cde Chinotimba of working against the spirit of the revolution.

"Cde Chinotimba is power-hungry. Recently he secured a position as Zanu-PF Central Committee member for Manicaland yet he won the war vets vice chairmanship using the Harare provincial structure. In 2008, he contested as a candidate for Buhera South House of Assembly membership, but we have it on record that he once contested for the same position in Harare," he said.

Harare, Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Midlands have also dismissed Cde Chinotimba's actions.