Velaphi Ncube, the Bulawayo war veterans’ association spokesperson,
said deepening poverty had forced the ex-combatants to ask government to
consider converting their allowances to more stable foreign currencies.
"War veterans made a lot of sacrifice during the liberation war,"
Ncube said. "The government should keep its promises of taking care of war
veterans who are suffering because of dollarisation."
Government last month started paying civil servants in foreign
currency and most of them were paid an average of US$100 in vouchers
redeemable at banks.
The former fighters, who at the height of the violent land invasions
called on the Zanu PF government to rename the local currency, saying the
dollar was an unwanted colonial vestige, began receiving monthly pensions in
1997 for the role they played in liberating the country.
They are entitled to free treatment at state hospitals, free education
for their children at government schools and most of them are owners of
prime farms grabbed from former commercial farmers.
But runaway inflation has meant that the value of the monthly stipends
they earn in local currency has been eroded, pushing most of them deeper
into poverty.
However, President Robert Mugabe who is the patron of the Zimbabwe
National Liberation War Veterans Association last week said he was opposed
to the payment of salaries in foreign currency.
He said the country did not have adequate foreign currency to sustain
the salaries and was in favour of the resuscitation of the Zimbabwean dollar
now shunned by most traders.
"The monthly allowances we earn in local currency are now worthless
since the local currency is being discarded," Ncube said.
"After consultations with colleagues, we feel that the government
should pay us at least US$80 a month in pensions."
Ncube threatened that the war veterans, notorious for leading violent
demonstrations in support of Mugabe and Zanu PF, would take to the streets
if the government failed to meet their demands or discontinued the pensions.
"Yes we have a new government, but it should continue with the
programmes started by the previous government that used to assist us," he
added.
"There is no reason why the new government should not pay us
allowances in foreign currency and we are prepared for street protests to
press for the consideration of our demands.
Public Service Minister, Professor Elphas Mukonoweshuro referred
inquiries about the veterans’ pensions to Defence Minister, Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
"The Defence Ministry is the one that administers the War Veterans’
Pensions Act and it would be best placed to comment about the monthly
allowances for war veterans," Mukonoweshuro said.
Mnangagwa could not be reached for comment. Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai has on several occasions reiterated that the country is broke and
cannot afford lavish spending especially in foreign currency.
Economic analysts trace the root of Zimbabwe’s current economic
problems to November 1997 when the war veterans, then numbering about 50
000, arm-twisted Mugabe to award them a lump sum of $50 000 each in
unbudgeted funds. –thezimbabwestandard.com
Post published in: Economy