2 000 Zimbabwe war vets demand compensation
WEDNESDAY, 17 JULY 2013 18:26 EDITOR NEWS
ABOUT 2 000 people have been camping at a farm on the outskirts of Harare
for the past two months demanding compensation from government for
participating in the liberation struggle.
The group — consisting of both men and women most of them aged above 50 who
have been camping at a farm near the Koala Abattoir adjacent to the
Harare-Chitungwiza Highway — are from all the provinces in the country and
are demanding to be addressed by President Robert Mugabe. They do not claim
to have fought in the war of liberation, but say they crossed the border and
participated in the struggle in various ways, including nursing freedom
fighters and doing other chores outside the country.
Efforts to get a comment from Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba
yesterday were fruitless.
On Monday, when a our correspondent visited the farm, some members of the
group wearing Zanu PF regalia were reading the party’s manifesto under
trees.
Contacted for comment yesterday, the chairman of the Zimbabwe National
Liberation War Veterans’ Association, Jabulani Sibanda, said he was aware of
the presence of the group at the farm.
“They are people who were in the struggle, but did not receive military
training that qualifies them in terms of the War Veterans Act to be regarded
as war veterans,” he said.
“Some of them were teachers and nurses, for instance, but they were part of
the war. They have genuine grievances and I spoke to some of their leaders
and some of these comrades have started going back to help the party
campaign and win the elections. Their issues will be attended to after the
elections when the party (Zanu PF) has won the elections.”
In 1997, former freedom fighters staged demonstrations forcing government to
capitulate and give them Z$50 000 each as gratuity for taking part in the
15-year war.
Sources close to the group said although they did not receive any military
training, they wanted government to pay them pensions and gratuities in the
same manner their counterparts who “received military training” during the
liberation struggle and considered “war veterans” under the War Veterans Act
were compensated.
“These people spend the whole day milling around and occasionally go to town
saying they are going to the Zanu PF headquarters,” said a source. “They say
they are waiting to be addressed by Mugabe on the processing of their
gratuities and pensions.”
Local farmers have raised concerns of a looming health disaster as the site
does not have adequate sanitary facilities.
The people are also reportedly demanding food from local farmers as well as
transport to take them to Zanu PF headquarters – Newsday.