WAR veterans deserve to be given shares in lithium and coal mining companies, plots as well as conservancies in Matabeleland North and Masvingo, a Zanu PF lawmaker said.
Supporting a motion following a petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependence Forum, Shamva South legislator, Joseph Mapiki, said children of war veterans deserved the same benefits.
The ex-combatants have been making several demands over the years.
In 1997, the late former president Robert Mugabe succumbed to pressure and awarded the ex-combatants $50 000 payouts as well as monthly gratuities.
Mapiki, however, said war veterans have not been compensated enough.
“Wherever stands are being allocated, we need to think about war veterans so that they benefit also,” Mapiki said.
“That would be the incentives that motivate the war veterans because the money they are receiving is not enough.
“There are minerals like lithium where war veterans should benefit from. I believe that the war veterans should have a qouta.”
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In 2000, war veterans led the farm invasions in frustration over the slow pace of the land redistribution exercise.
Mugabe, then facing declining public support, okayed the farm invasions to curry the favour of the war vets.
“If it’s places such as Kanyemba or Victoria Falls, they should be given an opportunity to get a portion of the stand even without start-up capital,” Mapiki said.
“So, I believe that war veterans should not just be given money, but they should be given the opportunity to generate their own revenue.
“Even as I speak, there are coal mines in Hwange and other areas.
“War veterans should have shares, they should be allocated a portion.”
Zipra war veterans secretary-general, Petros Sibanda, expressed frustration over the lack of political will by the government to address their welfare concerns.
“The Ministry of War Veterans had said we will be allocated 20% of land but when we go to the designated offices, they want letters from the government”, Sibanda said in an interview.
“The problem is that there are many issues relating to war veterans’ welfare that have been on the agenda, but without any action.
“We had asked for 20% seats in Parliament in April 2023, but we haven’t seen that up to today, yet it was debated in Parliament.”
In 2021, dozens of ex-combatants were dragged to court after they tried to petition President Emmerson Mnangagwa about their low monthly pension
