ZIMBABWE: GOVERNMENT OFFER COMPENSATION TO WAR VETERANS

Описание: (19 Oct 1997) English/Nat

Zimbabwe's government is offering four thousand US dollars to compensate war veterans for unpaid pensions, but some veterans consider the offer an insult.

The compensation offer comes after months of protests by veterans of the seven-year bush war that led to independence in 1980.

The protests followed revelations that politicians and favoured ruling party supporters -- some of whom never served in the guerrilla campaign -- received huge payouts from a state war compensation fund.

As violent protests continued in Harare, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe ordered a judicial commission to investigate irregularities in the veterans' pension fund.

Mugabe also agreed to pay all bona fide veterans lump sum handouts of 50,000 Zimbabwe dollars (4,300 US dollars) and monthly pensions of 2,000 Zimbabwe
dollars (174 US Dollars).

But despite the offer, Zimbabwe's war veterans are continuing their increasingly belligerent demands for higher pay-outs. On Wednesday, angry vets ransacked Mugabe's headquarters in Harare.

The veterans want land and immediate payment for claims made under the war victims compensation fund.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well I think the money will no doubt help up to a point but they need much more than that if they are to be helped. For the last 17 years they were neglected and there are problems. They've accumulated accordingly 50-thousand dollars. It is not something that will take care of them sufficiently."
SUPER CAPTION: Ndabaningi Sithole, Leader of the opposition Zanu Ndonga Party

Even if veterans eventually decide to accept the 50-thousand handout, there are still questions about how the government proposes to pay for the ex-fighters.

The estimated 3.5 billion Zimbabwe dollars (300 million US dollars) needed was not included in July's national budget prepared by Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa.

Zimbabwe's War Veterans Association has welcomed the government's offer to pay up, but say that the vets need more money.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I would like to express my deep thanks to the government, especially the present government of Mugabe for having pushed for such a lump sum to be given at one time. Though it's little, it's better than nothing and I hope this will alleviate the problems of the war veterans. As you know, the war veterans have been left out for quite some time. Seventeen years is not a short period. And hence the problem that have been accumulating from day to day. I'm sure 50-thousand will go a long way to assisting war veterans. I'm not saying that it is a good figure, but it is a gesture in the right direction in trying to solve the problems."
SUPER CAPTION: Chengerai Hunzvi, chairman of the War Veteran's Association

In the last two years, the pension fund has been rife with scandal involving millions of dollars allegedly looted by ruling party officials.

The judicial commission investigating payout irregularities has heard how prominent political, military and business leaders received payments for faked war injuries.

Some able-bodied officials were fraudulently classified as up to 80 percent disabled by war wounds. Others said they had nightmares and paranoia linked to post-traumatic stress lingering 17 years after the conflict.

An estimated 30,000 mostly black fighters died in the bush war between guerrillas and the white-led forces of Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known before independence.

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