The War Veterans of the Liberation Struggle (Rights and
Benefits) Bill is ready, and consultations to increase war veterans’ monthly
pensions are underway.
The Bill – which seeks to provide a legal basis for vetting
war collaborators, nationalists and non-combatant cadres so that they can
receive compensation from Government – is likely to be be tabled in the Ninth
Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Currently, the War Veterans Act and the Ex-Political
Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Act provide the framework for
administering war veterans’ affairs.
The new Bill seeks to recognise war collaborators,
non-combatant cadres and nationalists who may not have been at the war front
but made immense contributions to Zimbabwe’s Independence.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, principal director
for war veterans in the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Affairs,
Major-General (Retired) Richard Ruwodo said: “We drafted the new Bill and
presented it to the Cabinet Legal Committee last September, and the Bill went
before Cabinet for considerations which are now waiting for the approval of the
Vice-Presidents.”
Government has been vetting war veterans, ex-political
prisoners, detainees and restrictees for the past 21 years.
The Constitution prescribes the provision of pensions and
access to basic healthcare to veterans of the Second Chimurenga.
The War Veterans Act also stipulates that a board should
superintend over administration of war veterans’ issues.
The term of the last board, which was led by Cde Dumiso
Dabengwa, ended last year.
The board that will be put in place after the enactment of
the new law will cover previously excluded groups such as collaborators,
non-combatant cadres and nationalists.
“Since the process of harmonising the Constitution and the
two Acts started, we are waiting for the Bill to sail through so (that) we can
include representatives from the other three groups.
“The Minister (of Defence and War Veterans’ Affairs) will
make recommendations to the President on who should be part of the new board to
be formed post passing of the Bill,” said Rtd Maj-Gen Ruwodo.
In addition, Government is working on on upward review of
war veterans’ pensions.
“In terms of how what percentage increase we are talking
about, it hasn’t been finalised yet. But we have been given a task to come up
with some figures which we will present,” Rtd Maj-Gen Ruwodo said.
War veterans currently get a little above $200 in monthly
pay-outs, and the figure was last adjusted in 2014.
At a meeting with war veterans in Harare on May 11, 2018,
President Emmerson Mnangagwa gave an assurance that pensions and other living
conditions would be improved. Sunday Mail
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