KWEKWE — The Midlands War Veterans League has secured 37 ceded mines and 66 housing stands as a way of empowering its members.
This was said by the Provincial War Veterans League chairperson, Amos Mapingire, during the decentralised Independence Day celebrations at a packed Mbizo Stadium on Thursday.
The War Veterans League, established in 2022 as the fourth wing of the ruling Zanu PF party, was created to address the perceived marginalisation of war veterans, who had been “relegated” to being an association. The New Dispensation, under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, recognised the need to bridge the gap between the party and the liberation wings that were previously excluded from party structures.
Mapingire highlighted the progress made since the league’s formation, stating, “Since our inception as a ruling party wing, some war veterans have been granted land, housing stands, and mines as part of an empowerment program.”
“So far, we have been allocated 37 ceded mines by Zimasco, which we are distributing to war veterans. These mines include chrome and gold mines located in the Midlands province.
“We have started allocating the mines and what is now left is for us to get partners so that these mines start operating. We have no machinery and we are linking war veterans with local and foreign partners,” he said.
Mapingire, known by his Chimurenga name “Fast Move,” further disclosed the league’s plans to operationalise the acquired mines through partnerships with local and foreign entities.
He said there was need for machinery and indicated that efforts were underway to connect war veterans with potential partners to kick-start mining operations.
Regarding the housing project, Mapingire reiterated the league’s commitment to providing urban housing stands to war veterans in need.
He revealed that 66 housing stands had been secured through the government’s housing commonage programme in Gokwe South, Gweru, Mberengwa, Shurugwi, and Churumhanzu.
Mapingire said the War Veterans Wealth Trust, will serve as a platform to facilitate business opportunities for war veterans.
He said war veterans had leveraged their 20 percent allocation in housing and industrial stands as collateral for accessing financial support.
Mapingire underscored the strategic significance of the War Veterans League within the ruling party, emphasising that President Mnangagwa had intentionally positioned war veterans as a vital and strategic wing of the party.
The formation of the league was part of a deliberate effort to empower and integrate war veterans into the broader political and economic landscape of Zimbabwe.
He hailed the reintegration of war veterans into the party structures after decades of feeling marginalised.
“Since we have not been in party structures for the last 40 years, war veterans felt dejected and very few participated in the structures of the party.
“The establishment of the War Veterans League aims to re-engage all war veterans within the party, ensuring their meaningful participation in economic, social, and political spheres,” stated the provincial War Veterans League chairperson.
The league’s overarching goal is to create a platform where war veterans can actively contribute to the party’s agenda and play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s future direction.
