About 4,000 war veterans in Masvingo Province were recently awarded a meagre US$150,000 from the US$1.5 Million Presidential War Veterans Fund to be shared among them, which has been described as a slap in the face by critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term limit extension bid.
Sources within
the ruling party said from the US$150 000, the war veterans in Masvingo shared
around US$2000 each on February 6, meaning only around 70 people benefited out
of around 4000 database of war veterans and collaborators.
The move
reveals desperation by a Zanu PF faction aligned to Mnangagwa to keep war
veterans on their side following calls by a section of war veterans for
Mnangagwa to retire and allow his deputy Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to
take over.
The war veteran
fund was launched on January 31 to counter war veteran and Central Committee
member Blessed Geza’s statements where he said the veterans of the struggle
were living in poverty whilst another faction seeks to extend the incumbent’s
rule.
In Masvingo, it
was launched by the Special Presidential Investment Advisor Dr Paul Tungwarara,
who splashed cash in Chivi, as well as promising to drill boreholes at each war
veteran’s homestead.
Contacted for
comment, the Provincial Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association
(ZNLWVA) Chairperson Killer Makuni confirmed that they met yesterday (Thursday
February 6) but refused to share further details saying he could not speak to
someone whom he does not know over the phone and referred questions to national
executive member Tendeukai Chinooneka.
“I do not know
you so I can’t discuss issues of the league with someone I do not know. You can
talk to other comrades in Masvingo and arrange a meeting so you can discuss
that,” said Makuni.
Ironically,
some prominent war veterans from Masvingo like former ZNLWVA chairperson
Chinooneka and Western Ezra said they did not attend the event where the money
was shared.
Makuni still
insisted that Chinooneka who is a war veterans national executive member was
present during the meeting.
Chinooneka in
turn told TellZim News that Makuni was the right person to comment on the
matter since he was the provincial chairperson and also insisted that he never
attended any event where money was shared.
“I am a
national executive member so I cannot comment on that matter, it has to be
commented by the provincial chairperson. I was not present at the event you are
talking about, whoever told you that I was there lied to you,” said Chinooneka. TellZimNews
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