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THE War Veterans Widows and Widowers Association Bulawayo chapter has castigated the Ministry of Labour and Social Services for marginalising the association and imposing non-existent regulations to frustrate war veterans’ spouses.
Speaking during a meeting at Davies Hall yesterday, war veterans spouses said they were not being treated well at the Social Welfare offices and were tired of filling in forms and not seeing any results.
The meeting was attended by members of the association, the war veterans chairman for Bulawayo,Cde Themba Ncube and acting Zanu-PF chairman for Bulawayo, Cde Killian Sibanda.
The chairperson of the association, Mrs Sikhululekile Ngwenya, said it was unfortunate that Social Welfare officials were forgetting that their husbands freed the country.
“Several widows in Bulawayo are not receiving their husbands’ pensions and are not getting the help they deserve from the Social Welfare officials. These civil servants are forgetting that they are sitting comfortably in Government offices because of our husbands who died for this country,” said Mrs Ngwenya.
“We are always reminding each other that heroes and heroines sacrificed their lives to bring about this country’s independence but it seems these civil servants are forgetting that.”
Mrs Ngwenya said it was unfair for the Social Welfare to demand affidavits from war veterans’ widows to prove that their husbands were war veterans.
“The Social Welfare is now conducting its own vetting process, which is costly to the widows. If a war veteran was vetted, then his benefits should definitely be forwarded to his wife with no questions.
“But widows are being asked to bring affidavits to prove themselves, which is not fair. After all nothing is done for them. We have several widows who have been waiting for their money for years,” she said.
She said the association would be left with no option but to ask for President Mugabe’s intervention.
The association’s financial secretary, Mrs Opher Ncube said war veterans spouses had the right to receive their husbands’ pensions without being questioned by Social Welfare officials.
“My husband died in 1995 and I claimed his money but I was asked to fill in countless forms and up to today I have not received anything. It was only recently that I received a letter asking me to confirm if I was still alive or dead. This clearly shows that they want me to die first so that they take my money.
” I know that there are several widows in the same predicament and I want to encourage them to fight until they get their dues. This country was fought for by our husbands and we deserve better treatment, ” said Mrs Ncube.
She said also of concern was the fact that children of war veterans were not being considered for schemes such as the Presidential Scholarship.
“We want to know whose children are being selected for the Presidential Scholarship because the children that were left behind by war veterans who fought for this country are not benefiting, even if they are qualified to benefit from the scholarship,” said Mrs Ncube.
Other members of the association said they were tired of attending meetings, which did not bring any results.
The widows also questioned the criteria being used to put tombstones on the departed war veterans graves which they said was selective.
Cde Ncube said he was not aware widows were undergoing another vetting exercise.
“I do not see any reason why widows should be vetted when their husbands were vetted. They should be given their money and there is no question about that. The widows that should be assisted are those whose husbands died before they were vetted.
“The issue of affidavits is new to us and it should stop immediately. We will soon send a team to the Social Welfare offices and the senior officials should produce the circular, which instructed them to do that,” said Cde Ncube.
He said if the directive came from the ministry, they would write to the responsible Minister and try to solve the issue.
Cde Sibanda said it was important for women to be treated well and promised to organise a meeting with the widows, the Governor and Resident Minister for Bulawayo, Ambassador Cain Mathema and senior officials from the Social Welfare to discuss the widows’ grievances and map the way forward.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo