The Sunday News
GOVERNMENT will soon embark on a national vetting exercise of war collaborators and come up with a register that will enable them to benefit from empowerment initiatives, the director responsible for war veterans in the Ministry of Defence, Major-General Richard Ruwodo, has said.
Speaking during a Midlands war veterans meeting in Gweru last week, Maj-Gen Ruwodo said the vetting process would also consider other war veterans who were left out in the vetting process conducted in late 90s.
“We will soon advertise in newspapers and radio so that we start the vetting process for war collaborators so that we have a register. This process is urgent and we are going to advise (Welfare Services for the War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees) Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa when we are ready. This process is important because we want to establish who they are. All war collaborators shall assemble in areas they operated in and prove that they participated in the struggle,” he said.
Maj-Gen Ruwodo said there were other freedom fighters who went to Mozambique but could not undergo military training as well as those who went to France for training who did not receive the gratuities and were left out in the vetting process.
“There are freedom fighters that went to Mozambique but were not trained because we got independence before they could undergo military training. Those must be regarded as war veterans as well. There were those trained in France who were also left out. We are going to ask General Constantine Chiwenga to summon detachment commanders who can help us identify those who underwent military training in France,” he said.
Maj-Gen Ruwodo said there must be an Act of War Collaborators which shall be similar to that of freedom fighters which gives them medical and education benefits as well as other gratuities.
He said Government had agreed to extend the freedom fighters’ access to free health facilities to mission hospitals with the bill being settled by Government.
Maj-Gen Ruwodo said Government had disbursed $3 million to pay for school fees for the children of freedom fighters.
“Our school fees bill is about $5,8 million and we received $3 million from Government. We have paid for those using all other banks except those using CBZ and CABS. We are going to receive the balance soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Chairman Cde Mutsvangwa has given his executive and administration 24 months to prove their worth and transform the association, failure of which he said he would dissolve it and step down.
Addressing war veterans during the same meeting, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said his executive was supposed to walk the talk and deliver on its promises failure of which he said he would step down.
“We have to deliver as the executive and administration between six to 24 months. If we fail to deliver within that period tosiyao (we step down).
“There are a lot of things that need to be done including weeding out corrupt elements,” he said.
