The ZPRA Veterans Association has called on its members to commit fully to completing the Konron Project in Bulawayo, which is set to house the association’s offices.
The call was made during a meeting held on Sunday, attended by veterans from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces.
Despite their historic contribution to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, many ZPRA veterans today are struggling to make ends meet, and the association believes completing the office project at Konron in Lobengula will provide a critical base of identity, unity and operational efficiency.
Deputy chairperson of the ZPRA Veterans Association, Grace Noko, emphasised the urgency of completing the project.
“This meeting is to discuss our project as ZPRA Veterans Association, to encourage each other to build our place at Konron, work together and complete it. Some of the materials are ready, but we are keeping them elsewhere, and if we delay in moving the material, we will also cause frustrations to space owners who are keeping the materials for us. We need to speed up the work,” she said.
Noko warned that delays might cause complications with the Bulawayo City Council, which leased the land to the veterans under a rent-to-buy agreement made around 2021 and 2022.
“If we delay, the city council may end up repossessing it, although we are currently up to date with our rental payments,” she added.
ZPRA Veterans Association Secretary General, Petros Sibanda, revealed that the next phase of steel works requires US$1 319, but accounting for unforeseen costs, US$2 000 would be ideal.
“There are about 70 people involved in the project and if each of us raises $20, we can move forward,” Sibanda said.
He also appealed to provincial leaders to mobilise additional support from businesspeople and fellow cadres.
ZPRA Veterans Association Treasurer, Clement Bishop Malaba, called on members to reflect on their past discipline and bring the same commitment to the present.
“We used to be diligent. Now what’s the problem? Should we let go of the land? Should we be people without a home, who go around carrying files or just information on their phones?” he asked.
Malaba said the association aims to create a visible, respectable structure that will show the public and future generations who they are.
“People should know where our offices are and not to guess where we are situated,” he said.
A former ZPRA cadre, Engineer Lunga, who owns an engineering company and has supported the project’s early stages, encouraged members to act swiftly.
“We must push construction. If we had done so earlier, we would already be holding our meetings there. Work has started, but we are moving slowly because of lack of money,” he said, saying construction at Konron required a cabin on-site for someone to stay and secure materials.
Another ex ZPRA veteran, Engineer Gwatira, stressed the symbolic and practical importance of having a permanent home.
“What we are discussing here is very important. Everyone needs a home, even birds have nests,” he said.
“If we pull together we may find this is an easy job. It’s not that the money is not there, the challenge is unity. We are many, and if each member contributes even $5, we can raise the money,” he said.
“We can start having meetings at Konron even before the place is fully developed. Sitting there, seeing the lack of progress, might jolt us into action.”
The former fighter also proposed taking photographs of the site to mobilise further contributions and raise awareness among potential donors and well-wishers.
Other ZPRA veterans at the meeting agreed that using the Konron site for future meetings could motivate faster action and resolved to begin assembling there, regardless of the project’s incomplete status, as a reminder of the work still to be done.
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Guys let’s work together to build what we a looking for please