Source: War vets seek rental exemptions | The Herald November 16, 2016
Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau—
War veterans have called for exemption from paying land rentals and electricity among other non-monetary incentives to help improve their living conditions.Speaking at a veterans indaba in Chinhoyi at the weekend, they said their monthly payout is not enough to make ends meet.
About 34 000 war veterans get a monthly payout of $206 each, which they say is too little to sufficiently provide for their families and they called for it to be matched with the Poverty Datum Line (PDL).
With the little money that we get in payouts, we are unable to raise money for rentals and also the fact that we fought for the same land should influence the decision to exempt us from paying for it, said one war veteran at the meeting.
Some said they are losing the land that they were given while others had their land reduced in the on-going downsizing exercise.
Secretary for war veterans in the zanu-pf Politburo Dr Sydney Sekeramayi said he would raise the issue with Lands and Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, to understand the situation on the ground.
Downsizing under these circumstances should target those with larger farms stretching up to 1 000 hectares not those with 50ha. I will converse with my colleague and seek to understand the situation on the ground, he said.
The war veterans also said they wanted residential stands, arguing that it should not only be a programme for youths.
It maybe surprising, they said that most of them do not have stands and yet their children who are under their care are given stands.
To this, Dr Sekeramayi said stands should not only be for youths saying he would raise the issue with his superiors.
They also called for timeous payment of their children’s fees saying delays were affecting their schooling as they are often expelled from school.
Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Detainees and Restricted Minister Tshinga Dube said addressing the welfare issues for war veterans was a process that could not be done overnight.
COMMENTS
I am not minimising the great part you played in liberating our country You guys went to war but we did not remain idle In the villages we supported you guys Some of us had to abandon our rural homes because the war was not kind to us We lost cattle chicken and much more and not to mention the beatings we got from white forces to shield you guys I say we fought the wasr as well The only difference is we lost all we had and never compensated So are we to say we need freebies as a result of this If we are all honest and want to rebuild Zimbabwe is it not common sense to start by not straining the already cash strapped Zimbabwe AS it is we know some in the party are enjoying much more than freebies they continuing to steal as well In reality the country was liberated in 1979 if we are honest at this age do we have that many children who are still going to school ? If we are all set for a future prosperous and economical viable Zimbabwe ,should we not be content with $200 + /month bearing in mind that you were given gratuities by Mugabe a few years ago I think some demands will hinder progress
The war veterans continual demand for hand outs makes it clear that Mugabe hired a gang of thugs to secure power for himself and the rest of his cabal. They are holding him to ransom, he knows that without paying it he’s doomed. His fear of losing power has destroyed the country. The mortal fool is doomed anyway because he doesn’t have much more time left on this planet. Zimbabwe is doomed if it continues to pay blackmail fees.
Real war veterans should not be having children in school thus late. They have already benefited from one program or another as far as stands are cko concerned. Any demands four stands is not only unrealistic but outright greed. The Z$ took a phenomenal dive when RG, without consent of Parliament or his Finance Minister dished out $50k gratuities to this same group. This marked the first step towards Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, well befirre the ‘sanctions’ cover up became a scape goat. Add to that the War Victories Compensation Fund. Surely these guys have been reasonably compensated giuven the size of our economy. Better performing economies to our South and West, who went through similar liberation struggles have not been thus generous at the expense if the country. A revolution calls for more sacrifice than what money can ever pay. It’s a fight for a cause far greater than self, a preservation of a national identity and a strive for prosperity for all.
Real war veterans should not be having children in school this late. They have already benefited from one program or another as far as stands are concerned. Any demands four stands is not only unrealistic but outright greed. The Z$ took a phenomenal dive when RG, without consent of Parliament or his Finance Minister dished out $50k gratuities to this same group. This marked the first step towards Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, well before the ‘sanctions’ cover up became a scape goat. Add to that the War Victims Compensation Fund. Surely these guys have been reasonably compensated given the size of our economy. Better performing economies to our South and West, who went through similar liberation struggles have not been this generous at the expense if the country. A revolution calls for more sacrifice than what money can ever pay. It’s a fight for a cause far greater than self, a preservation of a national identity and a strive for prosperity for all.
How many of these “war vets” are actual war vets? I suspect that the majority are just freeloaders. I say anybody under the age of 52 is not a genuine war vet. The government should check the ages of these so called war vets, and anybody under the age of 48 should be expelled and thos between 48 & 52 should be thoroughly investigated.
They are just ruining a once thriving country by demanding, demanding, demanding. Everything for free.
They got the land, but don’t know what to do with it. They should have thought about this before demanding the land.
I am not demanding land, because I don’t know how to farm, so it would have been absolutely pointless for me to get land. They should have asked for monetary / educational assistance.
They must now suffer, as they made other suffer (the former farm labourers who are now jobless / living in abject poverty.
I have ABSOLUTELY NO SYMPATHY for them whatsoever.
Cry the Beloved Country