Retired Generals Caution Temba Mliswa Over Constitutional Bill Attacks

Harare -  Retired Air Marshal Henry Muchena, part of a high-ranking coalition of retired military generals and senior civil servants, has issued a warning to political activist Temba Mliswa, labeling his recent public attacks on their character as "irresponsible and dangerous" following a dispute over proposed constitutional changes.

In a formal response released on March 18, 2026, Retired Air Marshal Muchena, acting on behalf of the ex-combatants, condemned Mliswa’s disparaging remarks regarding their submission to Parliament concerning Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.

The veterans, who transitioned from the liberation struggle to senior roles within the state and the ruling ZANU PF party, asserted that their engagement with the legislative process was a principled defense of "one man, one vote", a core tenet of the independence war.

The friction originated after the veterans submitted a formal letter to the Clerk of Parliament regarding the proposed amendment bill. 

Mliswa subsequently released a video statement accusing the retired officers of bitterness due to unemployment and suggesting their actions were clandestine or even treasonous.

"The suggestion is not only constitutionally illiterate, it is disrespectful," Muchena stated, clarifying that the veterans were responding to a public call for input from the Clerk of Parliament.

"To reduce our principled engagement to bitterness born of unemployment is beneath contempt," he said.

The veterans’ statement further questioned Mliswa’s standing to intervene in the matter, noting that he currently holds no official position within Parliament, the government, or ZANU PF.

The retired officers warned that they would not tolerate being silenced by opposition activists or those seeking cheap political mileage.

Tensions between the country’s influential veteran establishment and political players continues to mount as the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 gains momentum with public hearings already scheduled.

The retired generals stressed on their historical role as the "commissariat" that mobilized the citizenry during the liberation struggle, suggesting that their right to political involvement remains absolute.

"When you shake the baobab, be certain you can withstand what falls from it," the statement warned, invoking a traditional metaphor to signal that the veterans would not retreat from the confrontation.

"One of the two key reasons we left our villages to fight the war of liberation struggle, the issue of 'Universal Adult Suffrage', 'One man One vote'.

"Let it be made unequivocally clear, from the onset, that we will not tolerate partisan narratives and unfounded attacks under the guise of political commentary," Retired Air Marshal Muchena said

"We demand to know who gave you the mandate to respond to us in the manner you are doing. What locus standi do you have? Are you the Parliament Spokesperson? Are you the Government Spokesperson? Are you the Party Spokesperson?" The grouping asked.

"We wore the uniform with pride, served the flag with honour. Once a soldier, always a soldier, loyal to the flag, faithful to the uniform and indebted to the people, for life," he said.

The current friction centers on Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, a piece of legislation that has sparked intense debate within Zimbabwe’s political and legal spheres.

In early 2026, Zimbabwe Cabinet approved the bill and later is was gazetted.

The Parliament of Zimbabwe reinvited public submissions on the bill, which reportedly seeks to alter key administrative and electoral frameworks within the 2013 Constitution.

In Zimbabwe, War Veterans and retired senior officers have historically acted as the ideological guardians of the state.

Temba Mliswa, a former Member of Parliament known for his outspoken and often controversial political style, has frequently clashed with various factions within the ruling party and the security apparatus.