News / National
New war vets vetting on course
04 Jun 2013 at 21:51hrs | Views
A FRESH process to vet war veterans to cater for former liberation fighters who were left out in the previous vetting exercise in 1997 is on course.
The vetting exercise comes after the Zimbabwe National Army called for the revetting of war veterans after a realisation that there were some former freedom fighters who were not benefiting from the War Veterans Fund.
In a letter addressed to the war veterans, the ZNA commander, Lt-Gen Philip Valerio Sibanda, said everyone who took part in the liberation struggle as defined by the War Veterans Act, had a right to benefit from the fund.
"It is not in anyone's interest to disadvantage those who took part in the liberation struggle of the country.
"During the liberation war, there were formal and non-formal training camps and operational bases where cadres got training.
"Those who received training should all be considered as genuine war veterans," said Lt-Gen Sibanda.
He said during the vetting process, the trained cadres were expected to have two war veterans who were vetted in the first exercise and found to have genuinely participated in the liberation struggle, to vouch for them.
"What is important is that those who claim to have been trained must have a minimum of two war veterans to vouch for them that they indeed received training.
"The training that was offered during the liberation struggle varied in duration and some were passed out formally while some were not. The difference in duration and absence of formal passing out parades should not be the reasons to deny the participants the war veterans' status," said Lt-Gen Sibanda.
Zanu-PF Central Committee member Godfrey Malaba, who was in possession of Lt-Gen Sibanda's letter, said the party would hold a meeting today at the Zanu-PF provincial headquarters, Davies Hall before starting the vetting exercise in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and North provinces.
"In response to the letter from the ZNA, we are going to hold a meeting on Wednesday at Davies Hall to discuss the vetting process and we will inform the war veterans on the venues for the exercise in the three provinces," said Malaba.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary general, Shadreck Makombe, however, said the vetting process for war veterans was an ongoing process.
"The vetting exercise has been an on-going process. During the initial stage it was not possible to vet all the war veterans because of communication breakdown as some were hospitalised while some were traumatised and did not see the importance of the vetting exercise.
"The exercise is enshrined in the War Veterans Act and we are always communicating with the responsible authorities in our quest to make sure that every war veteran who participated in the liberation struggle benefits from the War Veterans Fund. It is therefore difficult to make it a once-off thing because up to now, there are war veterans who have not been vetted for different reasons," said Makombe.
The vetting exercise comes after the Zimbabwe National Army called for the revetting of war veterans after a realisation that there were some former freedom fighters who were not benefiting from the War Veterans Fund.
In a letter addressed to the war veterans, the ZNA commander, Lt-Gen Philip Valerio Sibanda, said everyone who took part in the liberation struggle as defined by the War Veterans Act, had a right to benefit from the fund.
"It is not in anyone's interest to disadvantage those who took part in the liberation struggle of the country.
"During the liberation war, there were formal and non-formal training camps and operational bases where cadres got training.
"Those who received training should all be considered as genuine war veterans," said Lt-Gen Sibanda.
He said during the vetting process, the trained cadres were expected to have two war veterans who were vetted in the first exercise and found to have genuinely participated in the liberation struggle, to vouch for them.
"What is important is that those who claim to have been trained must have a minimum of two war veterans to vouch for them that they indeed received training.
"The training that was offered during the liberation struggle varied in duration and some were passed out formally while some were not. The difference in duration and absence of formal passing out parades should not be the reasons to deny the participants the war veterans' status," said Lt-Gen Sibanda.
Zanu-PF Central Committee member Godfrey Malaba, who was in possession of Lt-Gen Sibanda's letter, said the party would hold a meeting today at the Zanu-PF provincial headquarters, Davies Hall before starting the vetting exercise in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and North provinces.
"In response to the letter from the ZNA, we are going to hold a meeting on Wednesday at Davies Hall to discuss the vetting process and we will inform the war veterans on the venues for the exercise in the three provinces," said Malaba.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary general, Shadreck Makombe, however, said the vetting process for war veterans was an ongoing process.
"The vetting exercise has been an on-going process. During the initial stage it was not possible to vet all the war veterans because of communication breakdown as some were hospitalised while some were traumatised and did not see the importance of the vetting exercise.
"The exercise is enshrined in the War Veterans Act and we are always communicating with the responsible authorities in our quest to make sure that every war veteran who participated in the liberation struggle benefits from the War Veterans Fund. It is therefore difficult to make it a once-off thing because up to now, there are war veterans who have not been vetted for different reasons," said Makombe.
Source - Herald
