War vets ministry to cast its net wider

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Political Detainees and Restrictees is working on legislation to expand its mandate to include the welfare of all veterans of wars that Zimbabwe has been involved in since independence.

This was said by the minister, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, in an interview on the sidelines of a lecture he delivered to students attending Joint Command and Staff Course Number 28 at the Zimbabwe Staff College on Tuesday.

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“I would very much want the Ministry of War Veterans to extend beyond war veterans of the liberation struggle. I want all veterans of the wars Zimbabwe has fought since independence included in the benefits and opportunities that may arise from that ministry.

“It has to be a permanent ministry and not a terminal ministry because these war veterans of the liberation struggle, we are all getting into our 60s and since independence a number of them have died,” he said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said a number of countries had similar portfolios to cater for the welfare of their veterans who fought in various wars.

“Many will be discharged from the army when they retire so what happens to those in the army?

“They need to be part of the war veterans.

“It should be a permanent institution like in many other countries.

“It took some time to have a war veterans ministry, but better late than never,” he added.