Zimbabwe war veterans leaders boycott Mugabe heroes speech

By MacDonald Dzirutwe HARARE (Reuters) - Leaders of Zimbabwean war veterans on Monday boycotted a speech by President Robert Mugabe to honor fighters of the country's independence war, widening a rift with Africa's oldest leader, whom the veterans have asked to step down. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) last month denounced Mugabe, 92, as a divisive dictator, in a jolting rebuke underlining mounting anger over economic woes. The ZNLWVA executive was absent from