A: I wish I were but you know with this economic situation, as it stands, one cannot be really happy. We are facing a number of challenges. There are lot of demands to deal with the welfare of the people. It could be difficult to say one is happy. One can only be happy if there are sufficient resources to cover everybody’s needs and I don’t think that can be achieved with the current economic situation.
Q: What do you think needs to be improved on the welfare of war veterans?
A: You remember when the war ended, we did not address the issue of war veterans sufficient enough. Something was done but not enough. It took a bit of time from the day of demobilisation up to the time when the funds were raised to give war veterans some lump sum. At the time of demobilisation, we looked at very short-term issues.
We gave them some money but it was not enough to look after them for two, three years, it was for a short period. Later on, there was a lot of complaints and cries which led to that Z$50 000. However, even when that money was given, we did not actually plan for the long-term. Then as the time went on, some of the war veterans began to feel the pinch of living, some of them even felt that we were much better during the war than we are now.
That attitude grew but it was even worse because some of the war veterans were living better, they were moving with 4X4 cars, wearing suits, got some jobs in the civil service; but the civil service cannot employ all the people. First of all, you had to have certain educational qualifications to be employed in the civil service and as you know, most of the war veterans left school when they were still young, so they didn’t have those qualifications and they were thrown away.
Those who had continued with their school while some were at war found themselves in a better situation, they finished their secondary school and some of them went to universities. But most of these war veterans didn’t have such privileges. They were in a bad situation than the rest of the other people. They were given pensions, but it is too small to sustain anybody, the pensions were not measured according to the poverty datum line. For example, some of the war veterans are getting $150 a month, some even less. Some of those who were injured get little compensation and they are failing to work for themselves as some are blind, something needs to be done to address this issue.
Q: What is your target in terms of the pensions that war veterans must be getting?
A: I have recently said we should work on the issue of pensions while taking into consideration the poverty datum line. I am not sure, but I think it’s around $500. If each war veteran gets that money, it will sustain him, buying groceries, paying rentals and for their medical insurance. Yes, the money will never be enough, they have children who are going to school.
We are not able to pay the school fees of their children due to financial constraints. We have to look after their medical insurance but we are not able to do so and also their burial. Yes, we tried to raise their requirements for burial from $800 to $2 000 but that is not enough. If we also could get that money in time, because sometimes we get the money late, and the family will be forced to fork out money to bury their relative.
Q: There are political differences among the war veterans, what do you think is causing this?
A: I don’t think you are correct when you just look at differences among war veterans. Differences are part of our society, the party itself has got differences. I agree that we have various groups of war veterans, but war collaborators, ex-detainees and even widows of war veterans have differences, some of them say we are more important because our husbands were national heroes and yours are liberation war heroes but I think it’s an issue that bothers all of our people in Zimbabwe, even in churches and the opposition, our people have no tolerance. As I have said before, some of these differences are engineered with some of our leaders, they come up and instigate divisions. You find out that they are an appendix of senior people who encourage them to be divided. Don’t be surprised by these differences.
Q: Some war veterans accused you of siding with the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led group, further alleging that you are a member of a Zanu PF faction called Team Lacoste. What is your comment
A: I wish I were but you know with this economic situation, as it stands, one cannot be really happy. We are facing a number of challenges. There are lot of demands to deal with the welfare of the people. It could be difficult to say one is happy. One can only be happy if there are sufficient resources to cover everybody’s needs and I don’t think that can be achieved with the current economic situation.
Q: What do you think needs to be improved on the welfare of war veterans?
A: You remember when the war ended, we did not address the issue of war veterans sufficient enough. Something was done but not enough. It took a bit of time from the day of demobilisation up to the time when the funds were raised to give war veterans some lump sum. At the time of demobilisation, we looked at very short-term issues.
We gave them some money but it was not enough to look after them for two, three years, it was for a short period. Later on, there was a lot of complaints and cries which led to that Z$50 000. However, even when that money was given, we did not actually plan for the long-term. Then as the time went on, some of the war veterans began to feel the pinch of living, some of them even felt that we were much better during the war than we are now.
That attitude grew but it was even worse because some of the war veterans were living better, they were moving with 4X4 cars, wearing suits, got some jobs in the civil service; but the civil service cannot employ all the people. First of all, you had to have certain educational qualifications to be employed in the civil service and as you know, most of the war veterans left school when they were still young, so they didn’t have those qualifications and they were thrown away.
Those who had continued with their school while some were at war found themselves in a better situation, they finished their secondary school and some of them went to universities. But most of these war veterans didn’t have such privileges. They were in a bad situation than the rest of the other people. They were given pensions, but it is too small to sustain anybody, the pensions were not measured according to the poverty datum line. For example, some of the war veterans are getting $150 a month, some even less. Some of those who were injured get little compensation and they are failing to work for themselves as some are blind, something needs to be done to address this issue.
Q: What is your target in terms of the pensions that war veterans must be getting?
A: I have recently said we should work on the issue of pensions while taking into consideration the poverty datum line. I am not sure, but I think it’s around $500. If each war veteran gets that money, it will sustain him, buying groceries, paying rentals and for their medical insurance. Yes, the money will never be enough, they have children who are going to school.
We are not able to pay the school fees of their children due to financial constraints. We have to look after their medical insurance but we are not able to do so and also their burial. Yes, we tried to raise their requirements for burial from $800 to $2 000 but that is not enough. If we also could get that money in time, because sometimes we get the money late, and the family will be forced to fork out money to bury their relative.
Q: There are political differences among the war veterans, what do you think is causing this?
A: I don’t think you are correct when you just look at differences among war veterans. Differences are part of our society, the party itself has got differences. I agree that we have various groups of war veterans, but war collaborators, ex-detainees and even widows of war veterans have differences, some of them say we are more important because our husbands were national heroes and yours are liberation war heroes but I think it’s an issue that bothers all of our people in Zimbabwe, even in churches and the opposition, our people have no tolerance. As I have said before, some of these differences are engineered with some of our leaders, they come up and instigate divisions. You find out that they are an appendix of senior people who encourage them to be divided. Don’t be surprised by these differences.
Q: Some war veterans accused you of siding with the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led group, further alleging that you are a member of a Zanu PF faction called Team Lacoste. What is your comment