As a freedom fighter, Wilfred Mhanda helped Mugabe come to power - and came to regret giving him his support. Today Mhanda is the spokesperson for a group of around 5 000 war veterans who publicly denounce the Zanu-PF government of Mugabe, the violent farm invasions and the breakdown of law and order in their country.
"We are the real war vets," he says, a sense of urgency lending emotion to his words.
"The majority of the people who describe themselves as war vets and invade white farms are not really war vets at all. Mostly they are just thugs.
"We fought for freedom and democracy in this country, and what they are doing is quite the opposite."
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'We want to help the nation restore law and order' This small-framed steely war veteran now coordinates the Zimbabwe Liberators Platform, a pressure group formed by war vets in 2000 in protest at the anarchy that accompanied the farm invasions.
"It was the start of the violent farm occupations, and repression and the suppression of people's basic rights. All of this was being done in the name of the war veterans.
"We were extremely unhappy that these people committing these violent acts were using - and destroying - our name, and we felt betrayed that everything we had fought for, namely freedom and democracy, was being eroded. We want to help the nation restore law and order."
Mhanda believes the organisation has survived the political turmoil of the past two years because most genuine liberation war fighters were determined to defend the original ideals for which they fought for the Zimbabwe people.
While he says that most dissenting voices are usually silenced, Mhanda continues to speak out about the atrocities being committed in Zimbabwe, his views strengthened by the belief that sustained pressure will bring about change.
'They are tilling the land with oxen and donkeys. Commercial farming has been destroyed' For a man who has already been thrown into prison twice by Mugabe, Mhanda shows little fear for his own safety, openly speaking about his dislike of the repressive regime.
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