Story by Oliver Karuru
WAR Veterans in Manicaland Province have started to benefit from the welfare and empowerment programmes being spearheaded by the government and the ruling ZANU PF party.
The War Veterans Provincial Inter-district meeting held in Mutasa district this Saturday saw the Manicaland War Veterans leadership expressing appreciation to the government and the ruling party for the empowerment initiatives that are already benefiting freedom fighters within the province with over 150 benefitting so far.
“On behalf of Manicaland province war veterans league leadership and on my own behalf, we jointly thank the President His Excellency Cee Emmerson Mnangagwa for the Presidential Revolving Fund Scheme, Borehole Scheme, loans, the Housing Scheme. On the Presidential Revolving Fund, Manicaland province received a total of US$150 000 and a total of 175 war veterans benefited so far,” Manicaland War Veterans League Chairperson, Cde Linda Matatu said.
War Veterans Affairs Minister, Senator Monica Mavhunga spoke on the efforts and programmes being spearheaded by her ministry to improve the welfare of war veterans.
“We are engaging the Ministry of Finance to increase war veterans’ monthly income. We are also pushing for all the war collaborators who have been vetted to start receiving money soon. All the war veterans who have been given farms but have no offer letters are going to be given their permits by mid next month. They are also going to be given tittle deeds while all those without land will be allocated,” Senator Mavhunga said.
ZANU PF Secretary for War Veterans Affairs, Cde Douglas Mahiya says the implementation of support programmes should be the rallying point for all war veterans to offer unwavering support to the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
“The Presidential War Veterans Fund is different from the fund from the board. This is a fund mobilised by President Mnangagwa to augment existing empowerment programmes. Under the fund, we were given US$150 000 per province, and he promised to increase the figure to US$1 million per every province by June this this year. This revolving fund has no interest. The Pesident also launched a housing scheme for war veterans here in Manicaland,” Cde Mahiya said.
The meeting also called for unity among war veterans to protect the gains of independence and the growth of the revolutionary party.
