News / National
Mnangagwa to interface with war veterans
06 Jun 2025 at 09:54hrs | Views
All roads lead to the City Sports Centre in Harare today as President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to meet thousands of war veterans in a major empowerment interface, where he will hand over mining equipment and farming implements to ex-combatants.
The event is expected to draw between 4,500 and 5,000 war veterans from across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, with transport arrangements including 70 buses made to ensure full attendance.
Speaking ahead of the gathering, Presidential Adviser Dr Paul Tungwarara described the meeting as a "historic" milestone for the welfare of liberation war heroes.
"The preparations have been meticulous, and we are expecting war veterans from all the provinces. This is a historic gathering at a crucial time when the empowerment of war veterans has taken centre stage," said Dr Tungwarara.
He added that the outcomes of today's meeting will have far-reaching implications for the wellbeing of ex-combatants nationwide.
ZANU-PF Secretary for War Veterans, Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees, Douglas Mahiya, said the meeting, which starts at 10am, provides a platform for the President to directly engage with veterans.
"We have requested the President to meet us so we can express our gratitude for his initiatives, particularly the empowerment programmes," said Mahiya.
Over the past year, the government has rolled out several welfare and empowerment initiatives for war veterans. These include the provision of solar-powered boreholes, bicycle schemes, housing support, and a revolving fund designed to foster income-generating projects.
Each province has already received an initial allocation of US$150,000 under the revolving fund, with plans to increase this to US$1 million per province. So far, up to 3,000 veterans have benefited from the fund.
"We are expecting even more from the President as we meet him, but we don't know how much will be made available," Mahiya said.
Today's meeting will also focus on ensuring timely payment of school fees for children of war veterans, improving healthcare access, and exploring further avenues for economic participation through agriculture and mining.
President Mnangagwa, who is also the patron of war veterans, is expected to listen to concerns and proposals from the veterans before addressing the gathering. Organisers say such engagements are crucial in strengthening the bond between the leadership and the liberation war constituency.
"This is not just an empowerment programme; it's about acknowledging the sacrifice made by our liberation heroes and ensuring they live with dignity," added Mahiya.
The event underscores the government's commitment to integrating war veterans into Zimbabwe's broader developmental agenda in line with Vision 2030.
The event is expected to draw between 4,500 and 5,000 war veterans from across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, with transport arrangements including 70 buses made to ensure full attendance.
Speaking ahead of the gathering, Presidential Adviser Dr Paul Tungwarara described the meeting as a "historic" milestone for the welfare of liberation war heroes.
"The preparations have been meticulous, and we are expecting war veterans from all the provinces. This is a historic gathering at a crucial time when the empowerment of war veterans has taken centre stage," said Dr Tungwarara.
He added that the outcomes of today's meeting will have far-reaching implications for the wellbeing of ex-combatants nationwide.
ZANU-PF Secretary for War Veterans, Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees, Douglas Mahiya, said the meeting, which starts at 10am, provides a platform for the President to directly engage with veterans.
"We have requested the President to meet us so we can express our gratitude for his initiatives, particularly the empowerment programmes," said Mahiya.
Each province has already received an initial allocation of US$150,000 under the revolving fund, with plans to increase this to US$1 million per province. So far, up to 3,000 veterans have benefited from the fund.
"We are expecting even more from the President as we meet him, but we don't know how much will be made available," Mahiya said.
Today's meeting will also focus on ensuring timely payment of school fees for children of war veterans, improving healthcare access, and exploring further avenues for economic participation through agriculture and mining.
President Mnangagwa, who is also the patron of war veterans, is expected to listen to concerns and proposals from the veterans before addressing the gathering. Organisers say such engagements are crucial in strengthening the bond between the leadership and the liberation war constituency.
"This is not just an empowerment programme; it's about acknowledging the sacrifice made by our liberation heroes and ensuring they live with dignity," added Mahiya.
The event underscores the government's commitment to integrating war veterans into Zimbabwe's broader developmental agenda in line with Vision 2030.
Source - The Herald
