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NewsDay

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Mugabe honours war vets pledge

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PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has reportedly honoured his pledge to war veterans following the release of $6 million to the ex-combatants for the payment of school fees, the Southern Eye understands.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has reportedly honoured his pledge to war veterans following the release of $6 million to the ex-combatants for the payment of school fees, the Southern Eye understands.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Schools open for the second term on Tuesday.

Mugabe met war veterans early this month and promised government would take care of some of their needs after they made several demands.

War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube said the President had honoured his pledge, starting with the release of money for payment of school fees.

“We have been given the $6 million, which is supposed to cover the payment of school fees for this term. We are happy the President honoured his promise that war veterans must be given money for school fees,” Dube told Southern Eye.

Mugabe apologised for not meeting war veterans regularly over years to learn of their concerns and demands. He, however, promised to meet them regularly in the future. Dube said the liquidity crunch was, however, slowing the disbursement of the $6 million to various banks countrywide, and pleaded with school heads to be patient. “We are talking about 20 000 war veterans whose children were supposed to benefit from this $6 million. We ask school heads to be patient with us as the process of disbursing the money is being slowed down by the liquidity crunch.

“We are working flat out, but we can’t do the impossible that is why we are pleading with school heads to be patient as the money is being disbursed,” he added.

Ex-combatant Ekem Moyo, who is also the former MDC Gwanda South MP, said war veterans were, however, worried their children would be chased away from school over failure to pay fees on time.

“As schools open next week, war veterans’ kids may fail to go to school as schools demand fees payment upfront. Most war veterans are totally dependent on government-assisted fees payment and monthly stipends for survival.

“It is important for the government to speed up payment as education is the strongest weapon against poverty.

Failure to send their children to school destroys their legacy as their children will always criticise them for having fought for nothing,” Moyo said.