ZPRA veterans have accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of taking them for a ride by failing to deliver on his promise to allocate them mining claims for their role during the armed struggle.
The ex-combatants said the late President Robert Mugabe also made the same promise.
ZPRA Veterans Association spokesperson, Buster Magwizi, said they had not been allocated any mining claims in Matabeleland as promised.
"We have not received or benefited from such an initiative but we have heard of such stories from the government that war veterans are to be given mining claims," Magwizi said in an interview.
Speaking in the Senate on May 16, Mines deputy minister Polite Kambamura said the ministry was committed to ensuring that the ex-combatants get mining claims.
He made the remarks after being questioned about government funding of war veterans in mining.
Kambamura said the war veterans could access the mining industry loan facility, and be able to prove that the area they own has the potential to be profitable.
He also said the war veterans could also approach Fidelity Gold Refiners for a loan as organisation responsible for helping miners within the country.
- NoViolet Bulawayo’s new novel is an instant Zimbabwean classic
- Jah Prayzah, Zanu PF rekindles ‘lost love’
- Bank workers appeal to Ncube for tax relief
- Indosakusa marks 21-year anniversary milestone
Keep Reading
Magwizi said he was present in 2021 when Mnangagwa said seven companies would assist war veterans in mining with loans.
"Up to today, the money from those companies is nowhere to be found and as war vets we have not received any funding to improve our lives," he said.
The ZPRA spokesperson said government had been making empty promises while they continue to suffer.
ZPRA was the military wing of Zapu during the armed struggle.
The ex-combatants have been complaining about being neglected despite the crucial role they played during the armed struggle.
They have been demanding their seized properties from the government without success.
The properties were seized in the 1980’s following claims of the discovery of arms catches, precipitating the Gukurahundi massacres.
ZPRA bought several properties across the country using their demobilisation pay-outs.
