Online Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa on Friday launched empowerment programmes for war veterans that include farm mechanisation and a US$2 million Presidential War Veterans Empowerment Revolving Fund. He also availed US2million to war veterans dependants, war collaborators, non-combatant cadres and ex-political prisoners and detainees.
Addressing the war veterans who attended the launch in Harare, President Mnangagwa said the fund meant to empower the war veterans should remain a revolving fund and sustainable initiative that improves the household incomes.
“This must be augmented by hard honest work and discipline, the character traits you all have,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also handed over 50 tractors for war veterans’ agricultural mechanisation scheme and each province is expected to get five tractors. He urged those given the responsibility to distribute the availed resources to ensure there is accountability and transparency.
President Mnangagwa said beneficiaries of the interest-free loans must pay back the loans so that others also benefit.
Launching a similar revolving fund for youths in March this year, President Mnangagwa urged those responsible for distributing the availed resources to exercise high levels of morality and ethical consideration.
He said the schemes must identify deserving and capable youths.
“No to favouritism and corruption. I want this to be an enduring and sustainable fund which benefits the majority of our country’s youths,” said President Mnangagwa.
Government this year availed US$17 million to jump-start youths projects as part of programmes meant to empower the youths. Some of these youths who are either dependants of war veterans or war collaborators, are benefiting again from the US2 million revolving fund availed on Friday.
At the March launch, President Mnangagwa handed over 72 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, 10 vehicles and 10 borehole drilling rigs which were shared by youths from the country’s 10 provinces.
The Youth Empowerment Bank was given the responsibility to administer the Youth Fund.
President Mnangagwa has repeatedly implored beneficiaries of revolving funds to pay back the loans so that others also benefit.
We once again urge Government to put in place mechanisms to guard against abuse of the resources being availed to war veterans and the youths. There is a need to ensure all war veterans and youths have access to the revolving funds and that they put the availed resources to good use. The administrators of the revolving funds who are found wanting should be punished severely to send a strong message that Government does not tolerate incompetence when it comes to handling public funds.
Many unscrupulous individuals have in the past taken advantage of incompetent or corrupt fund administrators to abuse such funding to benefit themselves at the expense of deserving beneficiaries.
