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Michael Magoronga Bulawayo Bureau
VETERANS of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Minister Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa has said his ministry will strive to fulfill President Mnangagwa’s aspirations of bestowing heroes and heroines dignity through improving their welfare.
He made the remarks as he officially opened the ministry’s strategic planning workshop in Kwekwe where stakeholders are gathered to map the way forward for the recently established ministry.
Amb Mutsvangwa said the move by the Second Republic shows that President Mnangagwa has the war veterans constituency at heart.
“I want to thank President Mnangagwa and his vision that saw him re-establish this ministry which had been reduced to a mere association. Our gratitude goes to him for his resuscitation of the ministry,” he said.
“In all arenas where they have fought wars, veterans are held in high esteem for their role in upholding the national cause. It is the intention of our President that our heroes and heroines are bestowed the dignity and honour they rightly deserve.”
Amb Mutsvangwa said the enterprising minds of the war veterans need to be harnessed beyond stipulated social welfare needs.
“This will leverage the organisational flair and institutional memory of the heroes and heroines who moved mountains to defeat the imperial enemy,” he said.
Amb Mutsvangwa said his ministry will strive to be the incubator of startup companies, and urged war veterans to take advantage of opportunities availed by the Second Republic in reviving the economy.
“The war veterans need to take up economic opportunities such as the explosive growth of the mining industry and the scientific exploitation of Zimbabwe’s savanna grassland for food security, agro-processing and export to global markets all over grand opportunities,” he said.
“My ministry will forge the necessary partnership with entrepreneurs, locals, and foreigners.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said as they reach their twilight, the war veterans now require more health care demands by each day.
“Vulnerability is improving as most of our clients are in the last quarter of life expectancy, and due to age, most of them cannot fend for themselves. Prostate and breast cancer and old age ailments are afflicting us at a frightening scale,” he said.
“There is therefore a need for more social support than ever before.
Amb Mutsvangwa said there is a need to bring finality to the issue of non-combatant cadres and war collaborators, especially their recognition and statutory benefits.
“Our strategy should reflect in clear terms the aspirations of these two categories. Let us gazette them in the planning period and let us have their benefits approved as well. We need to do justice to these categories by vetting them in the planning period,” he said.
The ministry will also spearhead the documentation and digitalisation of the records of the Chimurenga/Umvukela for the period 1963-1979.
“This period marked a high point of African military revival. Over 200 000 militants managed to organise the whole population of Zimbabwe in a people’s war of proportions. We also need to research stories of the war from the whole national theatre that was the arena of the people’s war,” said Amb Mutsvangwa.
Speaking during the same event, Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Deputy Minister Monica Mavhunga said it was worrisome that some widows left behind by war veterans were losing farms to ‘greedy individuals’.
“I have noted with concern that some widows of war veterans are losing farms soon after the death of their husbands. As Government, we are going to ensure that these women and the families left behind enjoy the gains of the freedom they fought for,” she said.
Deputy Minister Mavhunga said war veterans also require counselling services.
Zimbabwe has more than 38 000 war veterans including ex-political prisoners, detainees, and restrictees.
Permanent Secretary in the same ministry, Mr Clive Mpambela said the workshop is aimed at, among other things, formulating the 2024 road map.
“We are here for the next five days to formulate an annual plan for 2024, and of course for other sub-lying plans. We will also review and formulate performance contracts for the minister, deputy minister and permanent secretary among other things,” he said.
The workshop is being attended by stakeholders including Zanu PF Secretary for War Veterans, Cde Douglas Mahiya, and representatives from various Government departments.
Online Reporter