Opinion / Columnist
War vets demands; their right to do so
13 Apr 2016 at 11:36hrs | Views
Every country the world over do recognises the importance of their people who would have fought for the liberation of such country. Some countries even attach that importance to the extent that even if one wants to be the leader of that country he/she must have contributed of some sort in the liberation of that country.
As such Zimbabweans should also attach some importance on the sacrifices of the war veterans who brought freedom in the country as an appreciation of the hard work they did. It was not recreational in the way to freedom but it needed the ultimate price for some of the gallant sons and daughters of this country to achieve that milestone. Now that the country is celebrating thirty-six (36) years of independence, it is now the time for all Zimbabweans to contribute something to the welfare of those living gallant sons and daughters of the soil as a reward to their sacrifices in bringing that independence to the country.
It is dismay and confusing to hear some people in the country complaining against what the war veterans demanded in the meeting they held recently with their patron President Robert Gabriel Mugabe in the City Sports Stadium in Harare. Instead of the Zimbabweans hailing the move taken by the war veterans, some people got to view the war veterans as cry-babies and forgetting that those are the people who liberated the country. Some war veterans are not cry-babies but they were demanding what they were supposed to be given and offered.
Actually the war veterans need recognition that go with the hard work that they did of making the country free from the bondage of colonial rule. People need to realise and appreciate that some war veterans are the custodians of the freedom which this country is enjoying. One needs to recall the life and experience which some war veterans went through during the armed struggle as to see the importance of rewarding the hard work which they did. It is their right and privilege to get what they demanded from their patron because what they demanded appeared less than what they sacrificed during the armed struggle as their lives cannot be priced.
Surprisingly some private media houses had screaming headlines recently that wanted to confuse the public into believing that the war veterans were selfish individuals who are only thinking of their self-aggrandisement without the welfare of other Zimbabweans. Headlines like: War vets` sense of entitlement wrong- The Standard 10 April 2016, War vets` demands reckless: Ncube-Dailynews 11 April 2016, War vets mercenaries hired to liberate Mugabe family Bulawayo24News 12 April 2016, War vets demands unconstitutional: Newsday 13 April 2016 and all other headlines not mentioned here show that war veterans are viewed by the public as not sincere in their demands. Such views from those writing such headlines forget the sacrifices which the war veterans did for the nation
People may have their difference of opinion on the demands which the war vets put forward during their meeting with their patron President Mugabe but it needs to be known that those people deserve more than what they said. It should be known that war veterans made it easy for those people criticising their demands to have freedom to say what they want. That freedom of association and expression which the so called learned individuals of today are using as a means to attack the war vets` demands came about because of the sacrifices of those same war veterans.
It is clear that there is no price for one's life and for an individual to criticise the demands which the war veterans were putting forward to the President shows that some people are quick to forget. Some war veterans sacrificed their lives so that this country is able to define her destine. So the learned people of today should not rush into blaming the demands of the war veterans as these people deserve to be recognised as such. It should also be known that some of the war veterans failed to get proper education because of their time spent in the bush fighting for the freedom of this country.
The private media get time to write articles denigrating the importance of the war veterans forgetting that during the colonial rule there was no freedom of the press and it took the bravery of those people to bring that in the country. Some so called political analysts even claim that the "war veterans` demands were unconstitutional", yet the same war veterans brought that constitutionalism in the country. It is the war veterans who forced the colonial rulers through the armed struggle to allow the black people to claim their rights in the country.
It is surprising that some professors of today like Professor Welshmen Ncube and his colleagues want the ordinary people to believe that war veterans are not senseless in their demands. He wants to make people resent some freedom fighters of the armed struggle as selfish and people who are greedy and bent on wanting self- aggrandisements in the expense of others. The learned Prof needs to realise that he got the opportunity to learn and get that highest position academically because of the freedom in which the country was going through. It was the sacrifices of both the fallen and the living war veterans who made education to be accessible to everyone including Prof Welshmen Ncube.
As a learned someone, one would expect Prof Ncube to be on the forefront of fighting for the welfare of the disadvantaged people like the war veterans and the victims of the armed struggle instead of fighting for their demise. Actually Prof Ncube should be seen to be encouraging his counterparts both in academics and politics to have the war veterans compensated for liberating the country.
When the war veterans demanded among other things that they need to be allocated land, have some of their individuals appointed in the civil services, to have their children getting timely payment of school fees and other host of demands, some people welcomed that. Surprisingly the so called learned and educated individuals who benefitted a lot through the sacrifices of those war veterans who brought the "education for all" policy in the country were the first to denounce that. Instead of the same people to applaud the move taken by the war veterans they view the liberators of this country as devoid of any reasoning capacity to see the difference between good and bad.
Let Zimbabweans celebrate thirty-six years of independence not forgetting that the independence and freedom that the people are celebrating now did not come on a silver plate but some gallant sons and daughters of the soil sacrificed their lives for that to be a reality.
As such Zimbabweans should also attach some importance on the sacrifices of the war veterans who brought freedom in the country as an appreciation of the hard work they did. It was not recreational in the way to freedom but it needed the ultimate price for some of the gallant sons and daughters of this country to achieve that milestone. Now that the country is celebrating thirty-six (36) years of independence, it is now the time for all Zimbabweans to contribute something to the welfare of those living gallant sons and daughters of the soil as a reward to their sacrifices in bringing that independence to the country.
It is dismay and confusing to hear some people in the country complaining against what the war veterans demanded in the meeting they held recently with their patron President Robert Gabriel Mugabe in the City Sports Stadium in Harare. Instead of the Zimbabweans hailing the move taken by the war veterans, some people got to view the war veterans as cry-babies and forgetting that those are the people who liberated the country. Some war veterans are not cry-babies but they were demanding what they were supposed to be given and offered.
Actually the war veterans need recognition that go with the hard work that they did of making the country free from the bondage of colonial rule. People need to realise and appreciate that some war veterans are the custodians of the freedom which this country is enjoying. One needs to recall the life and experience which some war veterans went through during the armed struggle as to see the importance of rewarding the hard work which they did. It is their right and privilege to get what they demanded from their patron because what they demanded appeared less than what they sacrificed during the armed struggle as their lives cannot be priced.
Surprisingly some private media houses had screaming headlines recently that wanted to confuse the public into believing that the war veterans were selfish individuals who are only thinking of their self-aggrandisement without the welfare of other Zimbabweans. Headlines like: War vets` sense of entitlement wrong- The Standard 10 April 2016, War vets` demands reckless: Ncube-Dailynews 11 April 2016, War vets mercenaries hired to liberate Mugabe family Bulawayo24News 12 April 2016, War vets demands unconstitutional: Newsday 13 April 2016 and all other headlines not mentioned here show that war veterans are viewed by the public as not sincere in their demands. Such views from those writing such headlines forget the sacrifices which the war veterans did for the nation
People may have their difference of opinion on the demands which the war vets put forward during their meeting with their patron President Mugabe but it needs to be known that those people deserve more than what they said. It should be known that war veterans made it easy for those people criticising their demands to have freedom to say what they want. That freedom of association and expression which the so called learned individuals of today are using as a means to attack the war vets` demands came about because of the sacrifices of those same war veterans.
The private media get time to write articles denigrating the importance of the war veterans forgetting that during the colonial rule there was no freedom of the press and it took the bravery of those people to bring that in the country. Some so called political analysts even claim that the "war veterans` demands were unconstitutional", yet the same war veterans brought that constitutionalism in the country. It is the war veterans who forced the colonial rulers through the armed struggle to allow the black people to claim their rights in the country.
It is surprising that some professors of today like Professor Welshmen Ncube and his colleagues want the ordinary people to believe that war veterans are not senseless in their demands. He wants to make people resent some freedom fighters of the armed struggle as selfish and people who are greedy and bent on wanting self- aggrandisements in the expense of others. The learned Prof needs to realise that he got the opportunity to learn and get that highest position academically because of the freedom in which the country was going through. It was the sacrifices of both the fallen and the living war veterans who made education to be accessible to everyone including Prof Welshmen Ncube.
As a learned someone, one would expect Prof Ncube to be on the forefront of fighting for the welfare of the disadvantaged people like the war veterans and the victims of the armed struggle instead of fighting for their demise. Actually Prof Ncube should be seen to be encouraging his counterparts both in academics and politics to have the war veterans compensated for liberating the country.
When the war veterans demanded among other things that they need to be allocated land, have some of their individuals appointed in the civil services, to have their children getting timely payment of school fees and other host of demands, some people welcomed that. Surprisingly the so called learned and educated individuals who benefitted a lot through the sacrifices of those war veterans who brought the "education for all" policy in the country were the first to denounce that. Instead of the same people to applaud the move taken by the war veterans they view the liberators of this country as devoid of any reasoning capacity to see the difference between good and bad.
Let Zimbabweans celebrate thirty-six years of independence not forgetting that the independence and freedom that the people are celebrating now did not come on a silver plate but some gallant sons and daughters of the soil sacrificed their lives for that to be a reality.
Source - John Mukumbo
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