War veterans leadership void filled as ZNLWVA elects new national executive

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) on 4 May 2024 elected a new executive at an elective conference held in Chegutu in Mashonaland West Province.

Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, the newly-elected ZNLWVA publicity secretary, Cde Samuel Getbusy Mhlanga said that revival of the ZNLWVA was per the amendment of the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Act by the government where many NGOs were de-registered when it was noticed that they were not compliant with the PVO Act.

“The ZNLWVA was also supposed to be deregistered but officers in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare hesitated because they realised this was an organisation of war veterans who liberated them.

“So, to ensure that the ZNLWVA file is kept by the Ministry, there are names of Cde Samuel Getbusy Mhlanga and Cde Moffat Elias Marashwa as founder members so they called Cde Marashwa and Cde Mhlanga. Due to the distance from Chipinge to Harare, Cde Mhlanga failed to attend but was represented by the newly-elected ZNLWVA Chairman, Cde Marashwa, who was accompanied by the new ZNWLA Secretary-General, Cde Phineas Marikomo. At the Ministry, they were advised to call a meeting of founder members, form an interim committee, register members, and convene an elective conference. So we generated a message inviting founder members and all those war veterans who were interested in the resuscitation of the ZNLWVA.

“The war veterans responded and on 23 January 2024, we initially met at Rukawo Motel in Chegutu and established the ZNLWVA Interim leadership which culminated in the Elective Conference on 4 May 2024 at the same venue,” Cde Mhlanga said.

Fifty-three (53) fully subscribed members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) drawn from eight (8) provinces were present. The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Interim National Chairman, Moffat MARASHWA chaired the meeting. The purpose of the elective conference was to select a substantive national committee.

In his opening remarks before the elections, ZNLWVA Interim Chairman Cde Elias Moffat Marashwa highlighted that attendance to the elective conference was based on full payment of an annual subscription of usd$24-00 per member which funds would be used to finance the association’s activities. He revealed that the reason for the elective conference was because of the neglect of the welfare of the war veterans by the previous leadership. He encouraged members to be free to give out the issues that affect the war veterans.

The delegates then held elections and the following members were elected as substantive national leadership:

1. Chairperson: Moffat Elias Murapiro MARASHWA- UNANIMOUS
2. Vice Chairperson: Thabisile SHOKO- UNANIMOUS
3. Secretary General: Phineas MARIKOMO -UNANIMOUS
4. Treasurer: Josphat TERERA- UNANIMOUS
5. Secretary for Publicity: Getbusy Samuel MHLANGA- UNANIMOUS

After the election, each of the ten (10) provinces forwarded two (2) members who are national executive committee and the following were selected;

In his thanking remarks, after the election, the chairman-elect, Cde E.M Marashwa thanked the delegates for entrusting him and the team to lead the ZNLWVA. The Chairman revealed to the delegates that he had earlier received an instruction from the Patron of the war veterans in the country to conduct a transparent, free, and fair election. He added that on 05 May 2024 in Harare, a press statement of the outcome of this elective conference would be released by the association’s Secretary for Publicity, Cde Getbusy Samuel MHLANGA, and Adv Martin Dinha who is the Association’s legal advisor. The Chairman also said that the ZNLWVA shall follow the constitution regarding the operation of the association.

Cde Chairman Marashwa promised to work hard to address the welfare challenges that the war veterans faced. He made it clear that only those fully subscribed members shall be assisted by the association. He further encouraged members to fully subscribe to the association for them to access the benefits entitled to bonafide ZNLWVA. He encouraged all members to be brave and unite to preserve the gains of the liberation struggle.

THE DELEGATES THEN SAT TO DISCUSS RESOLUTIONS AND CHIEF AMONG THEM WERE;

1. THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE SHALL REMAIN OUR PATRON
2. THE WELFARE OF SUBSCRIBING MEMBERS OF THE ZNLWVA AND THEIR DEPENDENTS SHALL REMAIN THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE
3. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE REPATRIATION AND DECENT REBURIAL OF FELLOW COMRADES WHO DIED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY AND ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE COUNTRY
4. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE TO AMEND THE COUNTRY CONSTITUTION AND FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF TWENTY RESERVED PARLIAMENTARY SEATS FOR WAR VETERANS
5. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE ENACTMENT OF A LAW THAT PROHIBITS THE REMOVAL OF WAR VETERANS ON THEIR  ALLOCATED LAND OR FARM, FOR WHATEVER REASON
6. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE ENACTMENT OF A LAW THAT COMPELS GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS TO SET ASIDE 20% OF THEIR BUSINESS FOR WAR VETERANS
7. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUTH COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY THE SMITH REGIME DURING THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE INCLUDING THE WHEREABOUTS OF LATE SEVEN CHINHOYI HEROES AND OTHERS
8. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE CONFERMENT OF HONOURARY DEGREES OF LIBERATION TO ALL WAR VETERANS INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED ON
9. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE FOR A LAW TO BE ENACTED THAT NO GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO TEMPER WAR VETERANS’ BENEFITS
10. WAR VETERANS WOULD SPEARHEAD THE WRITING OF ARMED STRUGGLE STORIES BY OUR MEMBERS SO THAT THIS WOULD BE KEPT AT THE AFRICAN LIBERATION MEUSIUM IN HARARE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO KNOW HOW THE COUNTRY WAS LIBERATED FROM THE SHACKLES OF OPPRESSION
11. WAR VETERANS WOULD SPEARHEAD EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS INCLUDING THE IMPORTATION OF MACHINERY FOR SUBSCRIBING MEMBERS OF THE ZNLWVA
12. THE ZNLWVA NATIONAL LEADERSHIP WOULD ESTABLISH OFFICES IN HARARE WHERE MEMBERS WOULD BE ABLE TO FORWARD THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND GRIEVANCES
13. THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP WOULD HAVE AN ESTABLISHMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH PROGRESSIVE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE LIVES OF MEMBERS OF THE ZNLWVA
14. THE ZNLWVA PLEDGES TO ABIDE BY THE PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS (PVO) ACT
15. THE ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE ZNLWVA PLEDGE TO ABIDE BY THE ZNLWVA CONSTITUTION
16. THE ASSOCIATION WOULD ADVOCATE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALWAYS ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS THAT COVER THE ISSUES OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AND NO ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VIOLATE IT.

Meanwhile, Masvingo, GAVE AN APOLOGY. Mash Central was not represented and as such did not forward the names of their two (2) representatives.