Government resumes war victims’ compensation after 26 years

VETERANS of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Minister, Monica Mavhunga has announced resumption of the war victims’ compensation, marking a significant move to support liberation heroes and heroines.

This Thursday, Mavhunga’s ministerial statement was delivered in Senate.

The development comes after over two decades following suspension of compensation payments in 1997 due to allegations of corruption, abuse, and mismanagement of the fund.

Since independence, the government has faced challenges in providing adequate support to veterans, including compensation for injuries and losses sustained during the war.

The Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry, established in 1998, aimed to address these concerns but ultimately led to the suspension of the War Victims’ Compensation.

Mavhunga outlined four key initiatives to enhance the welfare of veterans and their families.

“Land allocated to war veterans and children of war veterans must not be taken away from them since it is their heritage, which they fought for and sacrificed their lives

“We owe our veterans, not just our gratitude but tangible support and protection.

“It is imperative that we take decisive action to ensure they receive unfettered access to the land and other resources they fought for and deserve,” the minister said.

The initiatives also include amending the War Victims Compensation Act to cover those injured by landmines after the war, registering and paying State assistance to heroes’ dependents, and implementing a 20% quota on gazetted land to address rampant evictions from farms and mines.

The minister also indicated the government’s registration and payment of State assistance to heroes’ dependents where a lot of veterans and dependents of the departed national liberation war heroes and heroines are not aware of their entitlement.

“There is a need for the public on a massive scale, to make them aware of their benefits and subsequently register them.

“The National Heroes Depends Assistance Board is conducting full-scale awareness and registration workshops for heroes and heroines’ dependents across the country. So far, three provinces Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South and Midlands have been covered.

“This will pave the way for the payment of State assistance as defined in the National Heroes Act (Chapter 10:16),” Mavhunga said.

Additionally, the ministry will establish technical committees to address challenges faced by veterans in accessing loans and resolving mining issues.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has in recent months called for improvement of the welfare of liberation war fighters and to register those left out in the previous vetting for payouts.