The Sunday News
Sharon Munjenjema, Harare Bureau
Government has finished drafting the War Veterans of the Liberation Struggle (Rights and Benefits) Bill, while consultations to increase war veterans’ monthly pensions are also underway.
However, the Bill, which seeks to provide a legal basis for vetting war collaborators, nationalists and non-combatant cadres so that they can receive compensation from Government, might be tabled during the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Currently, two pieces of legislation — the War Veterans Act, and the Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Act — provide the framework for administering war veterans’ affairs.
It is believed that the Bill seeks to recognise war collaborators, non-combatant cadres, as well as nationalists who may not have been at the war front but made immense contributions in helping the country attain independence.
In a recent interview with our Harare Bureau, principal director for war veterans in the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Major-General Richard Ruwodo (Retired) said Government is in the process of harmonising the two pieces of legislation with the Constitution.
“We drafted the new Bill and presented it to (the) Cabinet Legal Committee last September and the Bill went before Cabinet for considerations, which are now waiting for the approval of the Vice-Presidents. They are yet to look at it,” said Major-General Ruwodo.
Government has been vetting war veterans, ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees for the past 21 years. Currently, the Constitution prescribes the provision of pensions and access to basic health care to veterans of the liberation struggle. The War Veterans Act also stipulates that a board should superintend over administration of war veterans’ issues.
The term of the last board, which was led by Mr Dumiso Dabengwa, ended last year. However, the new board that will be put in place after the enactment of the new law will cover previously excluded groups such as collaborators, non-combatant cadres and nationalists.
“Since the process of harmonising the Constitution and the two Acts started, we are waiting for the Bill to sail through so (that) we can include representatives from the other three groups. The Minister (of Defence and War Veterans’ Affairs) will make recommendations to the President on who should be part of the new board to be formed after the Bill has been passed,” said Major-Geneneral Ruwodo.
In addition, Government is actively consulting on upwardly reviewing war veterans’ pensions.
“I have just come from the Public Service Commission (now Civil Service Commission) where we were discussing with other officials, and, true, we discussed on war veterans as well. In terms of how much percentage increase we are talking about, it hasn’t been finalised yet. But we have been given a task to come and panel up some figures which we will present,” he said.
Currently, war veterans get a little above $200 in monthly pay-outs. Their pension was last adjusted in 2014.
Recently, there was concern among legislators that war veterans are living in abject poverty. At a meeting with war veterans at the City Sports Centre in the capital on May 11, President Mnangagwa assured the veterans that their pensions would be reviewed.
