Online Reporter
Zimpapers Reporters
THE Apex Council of Widows of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, that of Children of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, college students and chiefs have declared their support for Constitutional Amendment No.3 Bill, which seeks, among other things, to establish seven-year presidential terms instead of the existing five.
The two councils represent a vast constituency of approximately 20 000 widows and an estimated four million descendants of liberation struggle veterans, ex-political prisoners, non-combatant cadres, war collaborators, chiefs and spirit mediums. They said Amendment No.3 Bill is an important mechanism to preserve the sacrifices that birthed the nation.
At a press conference in Harare yesterday, on behalf of Chairperson Cde Winny Tsitsi Chitekedza, Apex Council of Widows of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle acting chairperson Cde Rufaro Mupepeti, said widows carry the burden of memory and duty. She said their support for the amendment stems from the need to institutionalise recognition of the liberation struggle.
“Our husbands gave their lives for sovereignty. We cannot allow their sacrifices to fade into silence. Representation in the Senate is not privilege; it is justice for those who bore the cost of freedom,” she said. She explained that the Bill ensures widows’ voices remain part of national governance. We stand as living witnesses to the liberation struggle, and our voices must shape the future. This amendment is about continuity, ensuring that the liberation legacy is not erased by time or politics,” she said.
Chairperson Cde Garikai Msika, who spoke on behalf of the Children of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, said their generation embodies the living continuation of the liberation movement.
He argued that their inclusion in the Senate would anchor Zimbabwe’s governance in its historical foundations.
