The minister responsible for the country’s war veterans has laughed off reports that the former liberation fighters could walk away with $500 000 payouts saying he did not take the reports seriously because the government was currently failing to pay school fees for their children.
Tshinga Dube was taken to task by Mutare Central Member of Parliament Innocent Gonese for brushing off a question by Harare East legislator Terrence Mukupe who wanted to know whether it was true that war veterans were demanding half a million dollars each.
“I also read that in the newspapers but the truth is that you do not have to worry about what everybody says or thinks, it is neither a policy nor anything established. It is just that somebody dreamt that way. You do not have to take the issue seriously,” Dube replied.
Gonese said the minister must take the House seriously and must answer the question. He said Dube was doing an injustice and a disservice to the people of Zimbabwe by deciding not to respond to the question which to him was straightforward and simple.
“I think it is common knowledge to all of us here that the Constitution makes it explicitly clear that Government has a duty to make sure that the war veterans get their welfare benefits which include monthly pensions, medical treatment – if there is need, as well as school fees for their children,” Dube replied.
“However, the question of the US$500 000 each has never been an issue. It has never been a Government policy. I believe this august House is consulted before we work out the amount of monies that must be dispatched to the war veterans as pensions. In our normal senses, we do not think that a person can vote for a US$500 000. That is why I did not take it seriously.”
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