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War veterans blast Tagwirei
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A faction of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has issued a strongly worded rebuke to Zanu-PF politicians, accusing them of exploiting ex-combatants for political gain amid intensifying succession battles within the ruling party.
The statement, released by the Andrease Ethan Mathibela-led faction, came after businessman and newly co-opted Zanu-PF central committee member Kudakwashe Tagwirei pledged funeral cover for war veterans during a Harare inter-district meeting on Wednesday.
The association dismissed the offer as demeaning and politically manipulative, insisting that genuine empowerment - not funeral policies - is what ex-combatants deserve after their sacrifices during the liberation struggle.
"The ZNLWVA notes with profound concern, disbelief and indignation the recent utterances by a novice politician proposing funeral policies as a form of empowerment for the gallant veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle," the statement said.
"Such a proposal is not only misguided, it is an insult, a curse and a direct assault on the dignity of those who liberated this nation."
Mathibela said it was unacceptable for liberation fighters to be reduced to beneficiaries of burial schemes when many continue to struggle with poverty, poor healthcare access and lack of economic opportunity.
"War veterans did not sacrifice their youth, their futures, their limbs, their health, and in many cases, their very lives, so that one day they could be ‘empowered' with burial schemes," he said.
The backlash comes as war veterans have long bemoaned being sidelined while party loyalists, chiefs and legislators receive luxury vehicles, housing and other benefits. Many ex-combatants, meanwhile, survive on meagre pensions and inconsistent welfare support.
"We fought for freedom, land, sovereignty, justice, and generational dignity. To reduce this monumental legacy to a funeral policy is to trivialise the liberation struggle and belittle its heroes, both living and departed," Mathibela said, warning that such proposals reflect ignorance of the liberation ethos and a worrying decline in political leadership.
He urged the government to prioritise meaningful empowerment, including access to land with title deeds, improved medical services, decent pensions and business capitalisation.
"No serious, patriotic or informed leader, new or old, should ever propose such a degrading initiative," he said.
"War veterans are nation builders, not charity cases waiting for burial handouts."
The association insisted that respect for ex-combatants is a constitutional and moral duty, warning political actors against using liberation fighters as tools in internal power contests.
Tagwirei reportedly pledged funeral policies worth US$2,500 each for Harare-based war veterans and their spouses, triggering the fierce backlash.
The statement, released by the Andrease Ethan Mathibela-led faction, came after businessman and newly co-opted Zanu-PF central committee member Kudakwashe Tagwirei pledged funeral cover for war veterans during a Harare inter-district meeting on Wednesday.
The association dismissed the offer as demeaning and politically manipulative, insisting that genuine empowerment - not funeral policies - is what ex-combatants deserve after their sacrifices during the liberation struggle.
"The ZNLWVA notes with profound concern, disbelief and indignation the recent utterances by a novice politician proposing funeral policies as a form of empowerment for the gallant veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle," the statement said.
"Such a proposal is not only misguided, it is an insult, a curse and a direct assault on the dignity of those who liberated this nation."
Mathibela said it was unacceptable for liberation fighters to be reduced to beneficiaries of burial schemes when many continue to struggle with poverty, poor healthcare access and lack of economic opportunity.
"War veterans did not sacrifice their youth, their futures, their limbs, their health, and in many cases, their very lives, so that one day they could be ‘empowered' with burial schemes," he said.
The backlash comes as war veterans have long bemoaned being sidelined while party loyalists, chiefs and legislators receive luxury vehicles, housing and other benefits. Many ex-combatants, meanwhile, survive on meagre pensions and inconsistent welfare support.
"We fought for freedom, land, sovereignty, justice, and generational dignity. To reduce this monumental legacy to a funeral policy is to trivialise the liberation struggle and belittle its heroes, both living and departed," Mathibela said, warning that such proposals reflect ignorance of the liberation ethos and a worrying decline in political leadership.
He urged the government to prioritise meaningful empowerment, including access to land with title deeds, improved medical services, decent pensions and business capitalisation.
"No serious, patriotic or informed leader, new or old, should ever propose such a degrading initiative," he said.
"War veterans are nation builders, not charity cases waiting for burial handouts."
The association insisted that respect for ex-combatants is a constitutional and moral duty, warning political actors against using liberation fighters as tools in internal power contests.
Tagwirei reportedly pledged funeral policies worth US$2,500 each for Harare-based war veterans and their spouses, triggering the fierce backlash.
Source - NewsDay
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