The aspect of the war veterans is key. Thirty seven years after independence we are still debating and talking about the welfare of the veterans of the struggle, that is unheard of. We are hoping that those who were in the struggle look after each other but it seems they are failing to look after each other, so there are calls for a certain generation which respects the founding principles of this country – there has got to be some transformation in terms of moving forward as a country. We cannot say we are moving yet we are not. It requires serious transformation and respect of the veterans of the struggle so that we are able to respect them because these are issues where our generation will be haunted by them. We do not want to be haunted by things we do not know. We never went to war. We expect the Executive to move with speed in addressing the welfare of the war veterans.
I support Hon. Chamisa on that and it has absolutely nothing to do with you belonging to a party. It has everything to do with you being Zimbabwean, understanding why we are where we are, how we got where we are and that is what it is at the end of the day. There is no party in this country that has a monopoly of the war veterans. It is important that we want those that believe that they have the monopoly of the war veterans to behave so, but their behaviour is totally the opposite of them saying that they are a revolutionary party and that they respect the war veterans. Instead they tear-gas the war veterans under the same Government where you have a Minister and a Commissioner General of Police who is a war veteran tear-gassing his fellow war veterans.
Our question was, were they really at war together? It is an embarrassment, humiliation and I was hoping that in the State of the Nation Address, His Excellency brings some calm to this situation. It is something which I must say that the party that is in power must be warned that 2018, the war veterans are not there. They are for Zimbabweans – for what they fought for – multiparty democracy, one-man one-vote and the biggest reform that has happened in 2018 is that the war veterans will be for everyone and they will not be for the ruling party. I thank you.
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