daniel chigunweColumbus Mabika Herald Reporter
The board of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle (VLS) is working on a number of systems that are expected to generate inflows that will cater for the welfare of war veterans and reduce pressure on Government.
VLS was formed in 2020 through the guidance of President Mnangagwa, leading to the enacting of VLS Act Chapter 17:12.
The board is led by Major-General (Retired) Gibson Mashingaidze and board members who include Cde Irene Zindi, Major-General (Rtd) Evaristo Dzihwema, Lieutenant-Colonel Getrude Moyo, Brigadier-General (Rtd) Alex Mazinyane and Mr Lameck Jackson.
All the board members are war veterans and hold professional qualifications and skills required to manage the board and its subsidiaries.
Responding to questions by The Herald on what the board was doing in respect of the veterans welfare, Maj-Gen Mashingaidze said it was important to consider how war veterans could benefit in investment opportunities in the country.
“The board’s empowerment drive to the war veterans is to provide for the rights and benefits of veterans of the liberation struggle and their dependants,” he said.
“The initiatives that the board is working on will ensure immediate benefits to them without waiting for Government support.
“In this regard, we are working on a number of vehicles for the veterans of the liberation struggle which they have been anxiously waiting for, for years. High expectations for enhanced welfare benefits and economic empowerment opportunities are to be created by these investment vehicles.”
Maj-Gen Mashingaidze said since inception, the board has managed to consolidate its economic mandate by establishing a Veterans Investment Company (VIC) and managed to select a Veterans Investment Corporation Board that oversees the operations of the companies that are under the VIC.
VLS, he said, conducted countrywide induction and training of registration officers following meetings with its provincial leadership.
Maj-Gen Mashingaidze further said VLS was including all categories of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle as stipulated in section 23 of the constitution, who include those who fought in the war of liberation, those who assisted the fighters in the war of liberation and those who were imprisoned, detained or restricted for political reasons during the liberation struggle in its programmes.
On the vetting of the remaining war veterans, ex-political prisoners, ex-detainees and restrictees, war collaborators and non-fighters, which is a direct ministerial project, he said VLS remained an interested part. He said the question of land was continuously being addressed, urging all war veterans without land to work closely with their provincial representative in registering to be included in the 20 percent reserved for VLS nationally.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda