Many of them want to return home, but fear persecution. About 7 000 ex-members of the ZNA have joined forces here to form the Affected Military Men Of Zimbabwe Association (Ammoza) with a view to tackling the socio-economic challenges they face in exile.
Ammoza mostly comprises soldiers who joined the army after 1985. They are bitter that the politicians are ignoring the plight of soldiers whose careers were brought to a grinding halt by the country’s economic and political crisis that has tarnished the image of the once professional army.
The former soldiers formed Ammoza in 2007 – partly to show their disgruntlement at being used by President Robert Mugabe's regime as tools of oppression by their corrupt commanders.
Zimbabwe’s security commanders have openly declared their allegiance to Mugabe, declaring that they will not salute anyone who does not have “liberation war credentials”, while the army is accused of violating the rights of those opposed to Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party.
The army deserters said the ZNA lost credibility the moment current army Commander, General Constantine Chiwenga, took over as head of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces from the late General Vitalis Zvinavashe.
"Things became so bad that from the rank of Major to Private, if you were not a war veteran you were daily treated with suspicion that you supported the opposition,” said Thembinkosi Dube, a deserter from the 5th Brigade Headquarters in Kwekwe, in Zimbabwe’s Midlands province.
“So whenever you saw a war veteran you had to start insulting the MDC (Zanu (PF)’s opposition and partners in the unity government) so that you could be left alone.
"When we joined the army we were taught by great commanders like Colonel Lionel Dyke not to engage in politics as that was a matter for civilians. But the moment Chiwenga took over he would send (controversial Brigadier-General) Nyikayaramba to go about politicising soldiers to be supportive of his party Zanu (PF) or else they would be thrown out of the army with nothing," he added.
Nyikayaramba is currently at the centre of a storm after publicly declaring that Zanu (PF) would win the next polls without stating how he knew this.
Dube is the chairman for Ammoza in Johannesburg and said his organisation had registered former ZNA soldiers scattered throughout South Africa, mainly in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit in Mpumalanga.
Dube also said chief among the reasons that led to desertions from the ZNA was refusal by authorities to process resignation and retirement papers, alleging that those who wanted to leave wanted to join the opposition.
"Life as a soldier had become painful; a commander could take rations and fuel and sell them in full view of powerless military police. I served loyally for 21 years and 8 months so you can imagine the pain of deserting and forfeiting my pension and everything that I had worked for," said a distraught Dube.
Another deserter, a former Major from 53 Infantry Battalion who requested anonymity, said he fought with a war veteran in the officers’ mess over politics and when he learnt that a court martial and jail sentence awaited him he was left with no option but to run for freedom.
Amoza said they were still waiting to hear from the litigation centre in South Africa if there was any progress in registering their organisation as they wanted to collectively sue the government of Zimbabwe.
Post published in: News