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Joseph Madzimure, Senior Reporter
ZANU PF has directed the Government to prioritise the disbursement of resources for exhumations and reburials of veterans of the liberation struggle.
The ruling party’s secretary for War Veterans, Cde Douglas Mahiya, said they will set up a committee which will spearhead the exhumation and reburials programme.
The committee will comprise chiefs and war veterans.
“We expect that resources must be made available for us. We must be allowed to participate fully and accordingly to ensure those comrades who perished during the liberation struggle are accorded decent burials. No person other than those who participated in the liberation struggle should be at the forefront because we want to exhume and rebury our departed comrades,” said Cde Mahiya.
As war veterans, he said, they will set up a fundraising committee to mobilise resources for the exercise.
“There should be a committee that should take part in the exercise. If Government does not have enough resources for the exhumation, we are appealing for permission to source funds for the exercise from well-wishers. We want to give a decent burial to our departed comrades who perished during the liberation struggle. Most of them are in Tete, Chimoio, Tembwe among other areas,” he said.
According to the 21st Zanu PF Annual People’s Conference, the revolutionary party directed Government to expedite the exhumation of war veterans who perished during the liberation struggle.
Government was also directed to expedite the vetting of outstanding war veterans of the liberation struggle, gazette the names of veterans of the liberation struggle, and make timely payments of appropriate gratuities and issue recognition awards.
Cde Mahiya also called for the protection of war veterans from land evictions and undue development planning by local authorities.
The Government, he said, should commit itself to establishing provincial museums to preserve the memories of the liberation struggle coupled with an autobiography centre. Some of the conference resolutions are to accelerate the renaming of streets, avenues, schools, institutions, and buildings after veterans of the liberation struggle.
Cde Mahiya said the party also directed the Government to accelerate the renaming of provinces and to do away with colonial names which divide the nation.
Online Reporter