Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
MANY widowers of fallen liberation war heroines are failing to claim benefits they are entitled to under the Heroes Dependants Assistance Programme, leaving crucial support untapped.
The trend has been linked to a cultural practice in parts of Mashonaland Central province, where relatives of the deceased woman traditionally take over her inheritance.
In this tradition, a girl child’s wealth is viewed as belonging to her family.
“When the woman dies, her brothers often come to collect her wealth, leaving her children behind with the widower,” explained Mr Cannan Mupamba of Muzarabani.
“The practice is reinforced by the belief that the widower will remarry and continue supporting his new family using the deceased’s benefits.”
At a recent awareness campaign in Bindura, Ms Rosemary Ndlovu, whose husband died in 2010, urged bereaved spouses to come forward.
“The office can’t follow each one of us. We need to knock on doors and claim what is rightfully ours,” she said.
“Life as a widow or widower is hard, but the assistance carried my family through.
‘‘Four of my children were taken to boarding schools through this support.”
She noted that many widows lack collateral or resources to become economically independent.
“Now that we understand there is a law supporting our welfare, we are better positioned to seek more help. Before, we only knew about the school fees component,” she said.
The Heroes Dependants Assistance Programme, established in 2016 under the National Heroes Act, provides education, medical care, incidental allowances and other welfare services to families of national heroes and heroines.
Despite this, officials say many eligible dependants remain unaware of their entitlements.
Commissioner Gladys Moyo, who heads the Heroes Dependants Assistance Department, under the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, said the knowledge gaps have left many pensions and benefits unclaimed.
“In 2023, when the President appointed a commissioner, it became clear that the National Heroes Act was not widely understood,” she said.
“We decided to raise awareness so dependants can come forward and benefit from the Heroes Dependants Fund.”
She emphasised that widows, widowers, biological children (including posthumous births), stepchildren and adopted children are all eligible to claim benefits.
She also encouraged unity among surviving spouses in polygamous families, urging them to share documents and work together.
In Bindura, widows have since formed the Widows of Fallen Heroes Association to collectively push for their rights.
Colonel Beck Maposa, the department’s legal officer, stressed that obtaining a declaration and registration using PD2 forms is the first step towards accessing benefits.
“This fund receives allocations in every national Budget. Anyone found attempting to access it fraudulently will be arrested and prosecuted,” he warned.
War Veterans League provincial chairperson Cde Martin Kwainona urged families without declarations to write to the provincial field office.
“The letter must include full details of the deceased and be supported by five community members — the chief, village head, party chairperson and relatives,” he said.
“Verification is thorough and information is then forwarded to the national level for approval.”
One beneficiary of the programme, Mr Upenyu Chimbwa, a financial intelligence student at Bindura University of Science Education, said the fund sustained his education after the death of his father, the late Cde Abel Chimbwa, in 2007.
His sister, Rutendo, also pursued studies at Great Zimbabwe University with the same support.
“My mother is unemployed. Without the assistance, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” he said.
“We were raised on the Heroes Dependants Assistance Programme, which covered food, medical care and school fees.”
