'Mnangagwa has betrayed us'

DISGRUNTLED liberation war veterans have drawn daggers against President Emerson Mnangagwa accusing him of betraying them.

The easily irritable former freedom fighters say by failing to give the ex-combatants a meaningful pension.

At least nine war veterans were arrested by police last week after they gathered at Finance minister Mthuli Nucbe's office demanding an increase to their monthly pensions.

Addressing journalists in Harare Monday, the Liberation War Veterans pressure group chairperson Amos Sigauke said Mnangagwa took over power in a military coup in 2017, none of their interests have been addressed.

"In fact, they have not addressed us ever since they were appointed, we wonder whose interest they stand for because they have remained silent while our fees and medical aid have not been paid. We hear from the media that the HE The President wishes to meet us to hear our grievances but the meeting never happens," Sigauke said.

"We hope this is not another grandstanding slideshow because we have submitted our grievances to his office many times. There is nothing new to tell him unless he will be coming to tell us the answers to our grievances. He has acknowledged on numerous occasions that indeed the government has abandoned us for the past 41 years and his new dispensation is working hard to redress this by pronouncing various projects for us," he Sigauke.

Sigauke said all they wanted was money and nothing else.

"We would want to inform him that what is trickling down to every war veteran is RTGS$16 000 and nothing more. It would go a long way if he (Mnangagwa) would reign in his minister of Defence and War veterans Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and make her withdraw her opposition to get our dues as determined by the court," he said.

The group also distanced themselves from the attacking members of the public in the previous election times.

"Lastly but certainly not least, allow us to apologise on behalf of the generality of war veterans for the trauma inflicted on the people during past times of elections in our name. The truth of the matter is that a few elements within us were paid and used to terrify people in our name. We are above partisan politics as we fought to liberate every regardless of their political inclination. The majority of those misguided elements were not liberation war veterans. We fought together with the people and our relationship was like fish and water," he said.