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War veterans demand ‘overdue’ 1997 gratuity payment

The Zimbabwean government must honour its 1997 commitment to pay war veterans the remaining Z$450 000 of their promised gratuity, calculated at that yearโ€™s prevailing USD rate, according to Andrew Ndlovu, former National Secretary for Projects and Planning for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

After computing and converting current rates, the current worth of ZW$450 000 can be approximated to be US$94 000.

Ndlovu said the outstanding payment represents a moral and legal obligation to those who fought for the countryโ€™s liberation. 

Speaking on the matter, Ndlovu recounted how the initial agreement was reached in a 1997 meeting at State House between the late President Robert Mugabe, the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo  and the War Veterans Associationโ€™s leadership, led by the late Dr Chenjerai Hunzvi.

โ€œI am calling upon the government of Zimbabwe to honor its obligation left by the late Presidents R.G. Mugabe and Dr Joshua Nkomo to pay war veterans their outstanding gratuity balance of Z$450,000, which was part of the Z$500 000 agreed in principle in a meeting  at State House on the 1st of August 1997,โ€ Ndlovu said.

According to economist Stevenson Dlamini, the present value of ZW$450 000 will be US$94 185 after completing all computations and current rate conversions.

โ€œI first examined the USD:ZW$ exchange rate in 1997, and then I converted the ZW$450 000 to US dollars. I took the converted US$, assumed that inflation in the US$ would be between 2-3% over the next 28 years (1997-2025), and then projected the estimated 1997 value of US$45 000 into 2025 by compounding it at an inflation rate of 2.5% (0.025) over 28 years to get US$94 185, which is the present value of US$45 000 in 1997,โ€ the economist explained.

In 1997, the government disbursed only Z$50 000 of the promised Z$500 000 to each war veteran, citing budgetary constraints.

Ndlovu explained that this partial payment was a result of an appeal by the late President Mugabe, who pledged to pay the balance in installments through annual budget reviews. 

โ€œI was part of the meeting in question as one of the war veterans executives. The late President Mugabe had appealed to the War Veterans National Executive that he had not enough budget to meet the war veterans demands hence the above part payment was made,โ€ he said.

However, the government never fulfilled this promise, a move that sparked frustration and mistrust among war veterans.

โ€œSoon after we had sealed our arrangement with the President Mugabe on balance payment of our Z$450 000, CID operatives were on our feet to make sure that our Hunzvi led War Veterans National Executive was ousted so that the gratuity balance was not paid up and they succeeded,โ€ he said.

Ndlovu accused the government of neglecting the welfare of war veterans, leading to widespread poverty among the former freedom fighters. 

He highlighted the significant role war veterans played in liberating the country and securing land from colonial settlers, yet they remain marginalised in post-independence Zimbabwe.

โ€œThe government should also remember that many war veterans have died because of bad treatment and poverty that the war veterans have been subjected to since Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980,โ€ Ndlovu lamented

The 1997 agreement also included provisions to allocate 20 percent of land and other economic opportunities to war veterans and their dependents. 

Ndlovu pointed out that this promise was also largely ignored, leaving many war veterans landless and struggling to integrate into society.

Efforts to demand the balance payment were met with resistance, including arrests and intimidation of war veteransโ€™ leaders. 

Ndlovu described how state security agents created divisions within the War Veterans Association, framing its leaders in scandals and detaining them to undermine their cause.

โ€œDr Hunzvi was arrested and detained in Chikurubi Maximum Prison. I myself was arrested several times and was finally detained in Harare Central Maximum Prison. Both Hunzvi and myself were ex ZPRA cadres,โ€ he said.

These actions, he said, created fear among war veterans and eroded their collective resolve to demand their dues.

โ€œSome war vet leaders feared arrest and that was the end of making any follow-up on the war veterans gratuity balance. As it stands, the war veteran pensioners have not been scaled to any military rank.โ€

Ndlovu criticised law enforcement agencies for disrespecting war veterans, in violation of Zimbabweโ€™s Constitution. 

He referred to Section 23 of the Constitution, which mandates the State to accord due respect and recognition to veterans of the liberation struggle.

โ€œThis constitutional obligation has been ignored, with some police officers treating war veterans with disdain. I wonder if President Mnangagwa is aware of these abuses,โ€ Ndlovu said.

Ndlovu appealed to President Mnangagwa to resolve the issue and pay the outstanding gratuity. He argued settling the debt would bring closure and restore dignity to the veterans.

โ€œThe government should by all means try to pay the war veterans their dues because they are entitled to be paid that money. One must not take it as an offence or try to threaten them for why asking, as once the debt is settled by the Second Republic Government, it would put this matter to rest once and for all,โ€ he said.

The 1997 war veteransโ€™ gratuity payments, though initially welcomed, had significant economic repercussions. 

The unbudgeted Z$50 000 disbursements triggered a financial crisis, leading to the collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar and long-term economic instability

Lulu Brenda Harris

Lulu Brenda Harris is a seasoned senior news reporter at CITE. Harris writes on politics, migration, health, education, environment, conservation and sustainable development. Her work has helped keep the public informed, promoting accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe.

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