Story by Yolanda Moyo
FORMER Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) forces have selected an 11-member team to spearhead the recovery of properties which were taken from them by the First Republic soon after independence.
The cadres convened in Bulawayo to discuss the process of recovering the assets with convenor, Cde Tshinga Dube noting that the Second Republic is in full support of the initiative.
“We are gathered here as ex-ZIPRA forces to select a committee that will facilitate the recovery of properties that were seized by the First Republic. This issue has for long gone without any solution to it and comrades have approached President Mnangagwa to engage him on this issue. Recently, ZANU PF Vice President, Cde Kembo Mohadi called me to his office and gave me an order that we form a committee that would be able to come up with a register for all ZIPRA properties.
“When the committee is formed, it must find the resource people who will assist to honestly define the ZIPRA properties from those of Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU) which were taken on board into ZANU in 1987,” he said.
Cde Dube also applauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to compensate 258 former ZIPRA forces who were unjustly dismissed from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in 1983.
“In 1983, a total of 258 ex ZIPRA forces were dismissed unjustly from the ZNA and the issue was not resolved for the past years. Today, l want to applaud His Excellency for solving the problem of those comrades who were dismissed and l gather that they will be compensated for 40 years’ salaries and also registered into the pension office,” he added.
Liberation stalwart, Cde Angeline Masuku also attended the meeting, saying life will never be same again for Zimbabweans under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
“This meeting is critical in the history of ZIPRA forces as it has shown that President Mnangagwa is different and he is willing to engage everyone who had issues with the First Republic. Comrades came in their numbers and it shows that they are happy with what is going to happen. This was a thorny issue for more than 40 years,” she noted.
The ex-ZIPRA cadres forces were urged to be calm and patient as any unbecoming behaviour will make the exercise futile.
Some of the properties that the ZIPRA cadres seek to reclaim include Magnet House in Bulawayo, Kudu Motors, Hampton Farm, Ascot Farm, Nest Egg Farm, Woodyglen Farm, Mbalabala Garage, Nyamandlovu Farm, Snake Park and Salisbury Motel in Harare, among others.
At the end of the meeting, a total of 11 committee members were elected from all the country’s 10 provinces to spearhead the process.
