Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs is prioritising the exhumation and re-burial of the liberation struggle veterans in its budget as it gears up to address this urgent matter expeditiously.
Additionally, the ministry plans to gazette the names of successfully vetted war veterans to facilitate timely payments of appropriate gratuities and recognise their contributions with awards following the completion of a vetting exercise.
This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, Headman Moyo, in an interview with Sunday News, recently.
“You might be aware that during the just ended Zanu-PF 21st Annual People’s Conference, resolutions were made where we as Government were enjoined to expedite the vetting of outstanding war veterans of the liberation struggle, prioritise the disbursement of resources for exhumations and re-burials of veterans of the liberation struggle amongst other issues.
“What we have done as a ministry is that we have given the issue of exhumations and re-burials top priority in our budget for the year 2025. It has been a topical issue and as you might have seen that South Africa a few months ago took their cadres who were buried this side, likewise, we also have our own in various countries that include Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and other countries,” said the Deputy Minister.
He said as a ministry, beyond prioritising this in their budget, their role was to identify those freedom fighters who were buried outside the country and work with the Ministry of Home Affair, which is responsible for the exhumations.
Furthermore, Deputy Minister Moyo said they had completed the mop-up exercise of vetting war collaborators and will soon gazette the names of veterans of the liberation struggle in order to give an opportunity to those who might have objections before making timely payments of appropriate gratuities and issue recognition awards.
“Vetting of war veterans is ongoing, it is difficult to complete as early as we want because some may be out of the country while some in hospitals. However, we have covered much ground and we are sure that only a few are left. We have teams that we deploy to verify in the event someone is ill but needs to be vetted
“You might also be aware that the ruling party enjoined us to implement a policy that will guarantee state-assisted burials for liberation war heroes and liberation heroes. This will enable families to receive better money to cater for expenses,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
Among other resolutions made at the 21st Annual People’s Conference, the ruling party directed the Government to implement a robust programme to refurbish and maintain all national provincial and district heroes’ shrines, enhance protocol policy to recognise veterans of the liberation struggle at all state occasions and protect veterans of the liberation struggle from land evictions and undue development planning by local authorities that affect veterans of the liberation struggle and their lawful dependence.
The ruling party also directed the Government to establish provincial museums to preserve the memories of the liberation struggle coupled with an autobiography centre; accelerate the renaming of streets, avenues, schools, institutions and buildings after veterans of the liberation struggle; accelerate renaming of provinces and do away with colonial names, which divide the nation as well as to develop a policy for the design and erection of statues of national heroes in the provinces.
Deputy Minister Moyo said they are already working with other ministries to ensure the issues are addressed. —@nyeve14
Bongani Ndlovu