CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS PETITION WINS IN PARLIAMENT

By Sam Mupedziswa

The Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Hon Senator Monica Mavhunga has stated to Parliament that the War Veterans Ministry will be supporting fully the petition requests by the Children of War Veterans & Heroes Dependents  in Parliament. 

The Ministers response stated: “Allow me to thank Honourable members for the insightful contributions on the issues that were raised by children of War Veterans. The contributions clearly demonstrate the importance that this august House attaches to the welfare and empowerment of our Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and their dependants. For nearly three decades now, Government has been providing a range of benefits to our Veterans and is committed to improving them from time to time. Nonetheless, there still remains room for enhancement and engagements such as these help to shape the nature and scope of the improvement. Let me now go straight into the issues that were raised.”

In terms of Educational Fees assistance the Hon Minister stated: “Mr. Speaker Sir, whilst the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board which is empowered to make decisions on statutory benefits has already increased the age ceiling to thirty (30) years, the Ministry has commenced the process of amending the existing statutory instrument to remove the age ceiling in line with the Committee’s observations and recommendations.”

The amendment will provide that students can be sponsored up to Doctorate level if they so wish. 

“As suggested by Hon J. Tshuma, the amendment will also stipulate that Veterans’ children will not be kicked out of school for non-payment of fees.  Indeed, as Hon Batau indicated, the welfare of our children is an obligation.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the second recommendation by the Committee is that the Ministry should ensure timeous payment of school fees.  The major challenge is that of funding which results in delays from time to time.” 

The Ministry is currently paying for school fees for 6 395 students of which 1 401 are at colleges and universities.

In addition to calls by Hon T.Pinduka and MP Nketa Constituency Hon A.T. Mavunga for the august House to fully fund the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Fund and advocate for enough budget allocations for my Ministry in order for war veterans to get their benefits as prescribed by Section 149 of the Constitution.

“I wish to thank this august House for the support it has always given to the Ministry’s budget as far as benefits for Veterans and their dependants are concerned. I also wish to thank the Ministry of Finance, Investment Promotion and Economic Development for their support, given the current economic situation.  We are currently in the process of clearing school fees arrears for the first term of 2024, following the recent injection of funds,” added MP Mavunga.

The third recommendation is that the Ministry should engage tertiary institutions to allow continuous learning of War Veterans’ children while payment is processed.

“Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry enjoys a lot of support from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development in this regard, as well as the tertiary institutions themselves.  The same applies to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.  As things stand, we recently cleared arrears for the 3rd term of 2023 and are in the process of clearing arrears for the first term of 2024 but students are learning.  In our interaction with the tertiary institutions, we have also come to understand the financial challenges that they face and we have worked out payment arrangements,” added Senator Mavhunga. 

With respect to the 20% Quota and rampant Evictions of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents, the Minister stated:

“To address these pressing issues, I convened a meeting with the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, alongside key officials, to discuss these matters in detail. A technical committee was established to tackle these challenges and put an end to these wanton evictions. While it is too early to assess the progress and effectiveness of this initiative, I believe it is crucial for the responsible Minister to provide an update on the steps being taken.”

Veterans also face similar challenges in the mining sector. In response, I held a similar meeting with the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, resulting in the formation of another technical committee to resolve these mining issues. We are hopeful that this committee will rectify these challenges and safeguard Veterans’ mining claims.

Additionally, my Ministry recommends implementing a 20% quota for Veterans in other sectors of the economy, such as government procurement, to ensure they receive their fair share of opportunities.

“The necessary amendments to existing statutes to effect this have already been initiated and submitted to Cabinet.We owe our Veterans not just our gratitude but tangible support and protection. It is imperative that we take decisive action to ensure they receive unfettered access to the land and other resources they fought for and deserve,” said the Minister.

With respect to the monthly Pensions of War Veterans Minister Mavhunga said, “Mr. Speaker Sir, I sincerely appreciate the recommendation by the Committee to adjust the monthly pension of War Veterans and Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees to the full salary of a Warrant Officer Class One.  This is the barest minimum. As pointed out by Hon Matsunga and Hon Mukomberi, there is need to increase the amount of monthly pension payable to war veterans to levels close to the poverty datum line where an average family of five to six people need US$540-00 monthly.”

On the matter of Specialised Healthcare for the Veterans and their Dependants:

“Mr Speaker Sir, Veterans and their dependants are entitled to medical treatment at Government medical institutions.  Where services are not available at Government institutions, the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs pays for services at private medical institutions or in some instances, outside the country on referral.  I recently held a meeting with the Minister of Health and Child Care where we discussed medical benefits.  A technical committee comprising officials from both Ministries is currently working on implementing the matters that we discussed.  Whilst the Ministry of Health and Child Care is facing its own challenges, they assured us that they will prioritise Veterans in their institutions.  On its part, the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs will continue to explore ways of  improving the delivery of health services to Veterans.  This includes the establishment of a medical aid scheme as suggested by Hon Mukomberi and Hon Nkala  which has been under consideration for some time.”