The ‘war veterans’, whose numbers are expected to rise to over 6,000 by the end of this week, set up camp at Zanu (PF) Headquarters three weeks ago. They were later driven to Retreat Farm where they are living in the open and surviving on hand-outs from well-wishers as they have no access to food or water supplies.
They have not bathed since they arrived, and have to relieve themselves in the open.
“We will stay put for as long as it takes Zanu (PF) and government to grant us compensation like they did to other former liberation combatants in the mid-1990s,” one of the ‘war veterans’ told The Zimbabwean.
They were disqualified at that time as they were based at Mabvudzi, Doroyi and JZ Bases in Zambia and were labelled non-military when the cease-fire took effect in 1979. Some of them claimed they did not benefit from the land reform programme.
Minister in charge of national security Didymus Mutasa told The Zimbabwean that he was aware there were people claiming to be war veterans camped somewhere around Harare.
“We are looking into concerns of these people but Zanu (PF) cannot be threatened into undesirable actions by demonstrators. The timing of the protests ahead of elections raises suspicions,” said Mutasa. “Zanu (PF) is bigger than they think and will not be deviated from real issues by some sideshow noises made by a group of protestors.”
Post published in: News