WAR Veterans minister Tshinga Dube was right to classify the latest demands by representatives of the country’s ex-combatants as “wishes of dreamers” because that is exactly what they are.
Comment: NewsDay Editor
It is indisputable that those who fought to liberate the country from colonial bondage deserve our respect, but they too, must have appreciation of the challenges that the country is going through at the moment.
It is matter of public record that the Z$50 000 gratuities they got in 1997 were a major contributor to developments that paved way for the tumbling of the Zimbabwe dollar —which has since been demonetised. Add to that the invasion of productive white-owned commercial farms precipitated the economic collapse, whose ghost haunts Zimbabwe to this day.
Quite clearly, they should now appreciate how their irrational demands in the past have driven us to the brink and, surely, a repeat of such a vicious cycle would be catastrophic for the majority of this country.
It is indisputable that Zimbabwe is currently battling a myriad of problems, including some of which are self-inflicted, such as endemic corruption, social decay and misgovernance by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF government, which protects thieving top State officials for reportedly sharing their loot with their constituencies.
The officials claim they are Zimbabwe’s Robin Hood for stealing from government, pocketing the bulk of the money and passing on trinkets to their rural communities. What a farce.
Clearly, Mugabe’s government has no practical solution to the current economic decay except accusing the West of imposing targeted sanctions. An honourable man would have just thrown in the towel for destroying people’s aspirations, not what we see.
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So, these ex-combatants, who probably appreciate what it really cost to attain independence, should have demanded accountability from the leadership right from the beginning, safeguarding the values and principles for which their colleagues died in that bloody war.
But for over three decades, they were content to watch the plunder of the country’s resources while they were mollified with crumbs from Mugabe’s high table, and chose to be part of a conspiracy of silence.
It’s unfortunate that now many of them are living in penury, which is probably why they are now demanding $500 000 payments. But, for what? No doubt that their motive is selfish, contrary to the liberation war ethos.
We believe the government has a constitutional duty to ensure war veterans get their benefits — including medical treatment and school fees — but to demand such a monstrous amount of money at a time when the majority of Zimbabweans are paying a huge price for Zanu PF’s failed policies makes sad reading.
What they should be doing is to tell the powers that be, whom they have supported since independence, to shape up or ship out.
Why should a nation of 14 million people be held to ransom by a rag-tag group of people making selfish demands after claiming that they went to war for the love of the country and by choice, and not for payment?
What is saddening is the fact that they have turned into a team of mercenaries? What are they saying about elderly pensioners that are sleeping at banks and failing to get money? Why are war veterans silent? It appears there is no difference between Mugabe, his Zanu PF party and war veterans, who seem to want to push the country further into the precipice.
Zimbabwe deserves better not this group of hoodlums masquerading as heroes!
