By Margaret Kamba

There was a call by His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for Parliamentarians to wholeheartedly participate in laws that will see a better tomorrow when he addressed the first session of the tenth Parliament this week. Of interest was his reference to the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and the need to redefine some categories and the acknowledgement of those who took part in the liberation struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence. 

In his State of the Nation Address, President Mnangagwa said “Our political independence came about through the support and solidarity of progressive nations in the region and beyond. Hence the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act will be amended to include Botswana as one of the countries that had transit camps during our liberation struggle. ‘Non-Combatant Cadre will be redefined to acknowledge those who played a part in the struggle, under this category. Similarly the National Heroes Act will be amended to redefine categories of heroes, namely National Hero, Liberation War Hero, and Liberation Hero. Amendments to the War Victims Compensation Act will now include recommendations from the Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry Report.”

The story of Zimbabwe’s is not an easy one and it is one that opens woulds that lie deep in the hearts of many men and women who not only took part in the war for the freedom of the majority but also those whose relatives have not even yet been reburied as no one knows where they are. The call to have a redefinition of some of the terms used therefore could not come at a better time as the country moves to address unresolved issues.

Guatemalan human rights activist Roberto Cabrera once asked “When considering the question should we remember? it is very important to firstly ask, has any victim forgotten? Could they ever forget? Secondly we should ask, who wants to forget? Who benefits when all the atrocities stay silent in the past?” These are questions that many still ask. Such questions are expounded by the need to understand the selection criteria of the exclusion of many others who played their part in the struggle for liberation. Their failure to receive training, their failure to leave the refugee camps such as Doroi did not reduce their exposure to danger as they were bombed and carry the scars deeper than those who were in the frontline.

What then should be debated as the Parliamentarians debate the amendment of the National Heroes Act and other Acts surrounding the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle? Political analyst Brigadier General Ezekiel Zabanyana says there will be need to deeply understand the nomenclature.

“For the Non-Combatant Cadre, these people never got training hence their exclusion from the compensation and pensions given to those who got the compensation and pensions. However they went to the armed struggle and apart from the training, they would converse the same language with the war veterans,” Cde Zabanyana said. 

“The training selection criteria done by the Commanders, was based on age, gender preference as well as fitness but this does not mean those who remained in the refugee camps were not traumatized because they were hurt more. They were more susceptible to bombardment by the Smith Regime, lacked food, had emotional trauma as well as exposed to diseases.” 

Many gallant sons and daughters of the soil were maimed while others died as they fought to liberate the country from colonial rule. Years after independence some were compensated and given 50 000 dollars while others were excluded due to the vetting that was done. Last year vetting was done to include several others. The call therefore to have a review could not have come at a better time as the men and women sacrificed their lives and youthfulness for Zimbabwe.