By Marsha Sengwe
Veterans of the liberation struggle shall have their own health services desks at all health centres soon if Minister Monica Mavhunga’s plea to the Ministry of Health and Child Care is considered.
The Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs said she met Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, the Minister of Health and Child Care recently and tabled the proposal to have these desks.
She said she also negotiated for free non communicable diseases screening for her war time colleagues at all public health centres.
“We are aware of their problems including being made to queue with the public at health centres.
“l have been meeting with the Minister of Health and Child Care to deal with that system hence we are planning on establishing veterans of the liberation struggle health desks at all health centres so that they enjoy their dignity,” she said.
She said her office was aware of many other problems veterans of the liberation struggle are facing, inclusive of their land being double allocated.
During a Mashonaland Central war veterans meeting held in Bindura recently, war veterans complained about corruption at the lands department.
The veterans alleged that their land was being downsized by the same office, specifically in Mazowe district.
Veterans also complained of being made to pay land tax yet they fought in the liberation war for that same land.
They said they must be exempted from paying the tax and also called for an increment of their pensions.
Minister Mavhunga said her ministry was aware of all these problems and others and was working to address them.
She also promised the veterans that her ministry will continue paying school and college fees for their children in different learning institutions.
“We are however behind in terms of their school fees payments but we are always in constant touch with responsible authorities.
“We are paying school fees for 7000 pupils and we will keep on paying so that they are at the same level, in terms of exposure to education, with others,” she said.
