‘Land reform programme failed to benefit war vets’
Written by Fungi Kwaramba, Staff Writer
Tuesday, 19 June 2012 15:00
HARARE – Top ex-army generals working in the ministry of Defence yesterday
tore into President Robert Mugabe’s land reform programme as having failed
to benefit war veterans.
They also spoke against the abuse of war veterans, many of whom are
routinely used by Zanu PF as political shock-troops.
Appearing before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Defence and Home
Affairs chaired by MDC legislator, Paul Madzore, a team led by Defence
ministry permanent secretary, Martin Rushwaya, said there is need to
depoliticise the welfare of war veterans.
“This committee can help us by seeing to it that issues of war veterans are
not politicised,” said retired brigadier general, Collin Moyo.
“If they are involved in politics, you will have a certain political party
saying they belong to us.”
Moyo said the current dispensation has made it difficult for war veterans to
appeal to some sectors of the Government of National Unity because of the
political polarisation.
“When we want assistance from the unity government some people will say ‘why
are you giving them money when they are doing this?”
“These are people who participated in the liberation war, don’t involve them
in politics. The issue of war veterans should have nothing to do with
politics,” Moyo said.
Director for war veterans, retired major general Richard Ruwondo told the
committee war veterans have not received money for projects since 1997 when
ex-combatants received a Z$50 000 windfall in gratuities.
Ruwondo said it is pointless for the government to give war veterans 20
percent of land in districts without adequately resourcing them.
“From 1997 we have had several ministers (for Defence) and none of these has
given us anything,” Ruwondo said.
“We are looking at one who can help us. In as far as land allocation is
concerned, 20 percent should go to war veterans. If this thing of projects
was functioning, then we could have allocations to provincial officers.”
Ruwondo, who is in charge of the welfare of war veterans, said government
should expedite giving war veterans money for projects as that will stop the
dependency syndrome that has characterised the land reform programme.
Under the War Veterans Act of 1997, government committed to provide for the
establishment of schemes to assist war veterans and their dependants, and
also to provide for the establishment of a fund to finance such help.
Currently the government, through the ministry of Defence, is only providing
money for education and health.