As Zimbabwe commemorates Heroes’ Day, the troubled journey of Zvimba East Veterans Investment Company offers a revealing glimpse into the aspirations, opportunities, and challenges facing liberation war veterans as they seek to turn their historical contribution into economic empowerment.
As Zimbabweans gather for Heroes’ Day commemorations, the country will once again honour the men and women whose sacrifices during the liberation struggle paved the way for independence.
But beyond the speeches, parades, and wreath-laying ceremonies lies a more difficult question: what has Zimbabwe done to translate the liberation legacy into sustainable economic opportunities for those who fought for independence and their families?
In Zvimba East, Mashonaland West Province, an ambitious veterans’ investment initiative offers a compelling case study. Zvimba East Veterans Investment Company Private Limited (Zevic), incorporated on 23 May 2023, was established with a vision of creating housing, employment, and investment opportunities for liberation war veterans and their families.
Three years later, however, the company finds itself at the centre of a bitter leadership and land dispute that has spilled into boardrooms, government offices, and the courts. Its story is one of ambition and achievement, but also of internal divisions, allegations of financial impropriety, competing leadership claims, and prolonged litigation.
Yet, as Heroes’ Day approaches, the company’s directors say they are determined to put the turmoil behind them and return their attention to the original purpose of the organisation.
The dream
According to Zevic’s current leadership, the company emerged from efforts by veterans and community leaders in Zvimba East to establish an investment vehicle that would enable liberation war veterans to participate directly in economic development.
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Nasho Solomon, the current ZanuPF Nyabira District chairman, and Cornelius Muwoni, the national spokesperson and secretary for information and publicity for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association and the Zanu PF Gwebi District chairman, are credited by Zevic with helping facilitate the initiative within the constituency.
Clifford Rutsate, whose nom de guerre during the liberation struggle was Cde Sando, is said to have helped identify veterans who became part of the founding structure, while the late Douglas Mandaza provided funds for registration.
Documents in our possession show that Zevic had 14 founding directors.
Among those named were Agnes Siyakurima, Deliwe Muvuti, Elinah Chasi, Joe Chimonyo, Jowel Samuel Muzhamba, Elizah Mhlanga, Philippa Nyabuta, Luke Mutungwazi, Patrick Kapitapita, and Israel Gada, alongside other founding directors.
Muzhamba became chairperson, with Chimonyo, a retired major, as deputy chairperson.
The late Mandaza was appointed finance director, deputised by Muvuti, while Michael Changadzo became general manager.
Gada became principal director and operations and projects director, while Fortunate Gada was appointed company administrator and secretary. Peter Razemba was placed in charge of security.
The company’s first reported asset was a Nissan Hardbody acquired for its operations and projects director.
The intention was clear: establish a vehicle that could mobilise the resources of veterans and convert their liberation credentials into productive economic participation.
When the dream started cracking
The initial momentum was soon overshadowed by internal disagreements. According to the current leadership, an internal audit conducted on October 23, 2023 became a major turning point.
The company subsequently restructured its executive, with Muvuti becoming substantive finance director, Chimonyo taking over as chief executive officer, and Changadzo being moved to human resources.
The operations and projects director and company administrator retained their positions.
The restructuring, however, did not resolve the growing tensions. The Standard established that Zevic’s head office had already been moved to 43 Dan Judson Road, New Milton Park, in September 2023 following the theft of approximately US$38 000.
The allegations surrounding the missing money remain disputed, and the various accounts of the incident form part of the broader conflict between the factions.
Security was subsequently strengthened at the premises through an electric fence and CCTV. Despite the tensions, Zevic continued acquiring assets.
A grader and four tractors were purchased with board approval, while vehicles were acquired for directors in November 2023. But beneath the surface, the organisation was increasingly divided.
December 2023: The break
The decisive rupture came in December 2023. According to the current leadership, a group of directors led by then-chairperson Muzhamba held a meeting in Nyabira on December 18, 2023.
The meeting was resisted by the faction that remained at the New Milton Park head office. The dispute subsequently escalated.
The current leadership alleges that Muzhamba withdrew money from the company’s FBC account during attempts to establish a parallel administration, resulting in the loss of about US$13 000.
He was suspended on December 29, 2023, according to the company’s account.
The opposing faction has disputed the current leadership’s version of events, making the dispute one in which documentary and judicial records are particularly important. What followed was a prolonged struggle over the company’s leadership, assets, and projects.
The US$70 000 case
The conflict also spilled into the criminal justice system. Some of Zevic’s founding directors have now been acquitted of fraud charges following the conclusion of a case that had remained before the Harare Magistrates' Court for almost two years.
The matter centred on allegations involving a US$70 000 transaction involving company funds.
According to the directors, the complaint was initially reported to the police by Mandaza before it was subsequently pursued by Mutungwazi. The acquittals have allowed the directors to turn their attention towards rebuilding the company after years of legal battles and internal disputes. The directors say the conclusion of the case has strengthened their resolve to put the infighting behind them and refocus on Zevic’s original mandate.
They argue that the divisions that engulfed the organisation were symptomatic of wider disagreements within associations representing veterans of the liberation struggle.
‘The squabbles are handicapping development’
Muwoni, who is also the Zevic patron, said the organisation had learnt important lessons from the prolonged conflict.
“We have only realised that these boardroom squabbles are unnecessary and are only meant to handicap the country’s economic growth and development aspirations,” Muwoni said.
He said Zevic’s founding objective was never to create another platform for factional battles, but to improve the livelihoods of veterans.
“Initially, Zevic was established as a vehicle to assist war veterans in Zvimba East and uplift their living standards.
However, we have seen that we can go beyond the district and assist war veterans in other districts and the general populace of Zimbabwe”.
He said the company was now looking beyond Zvimba East.
The shift represents an important evolution in Zevic’s ambitions. Muwoni is optimistic that what began as a constituency-level veterans’ initiative could potentially become a broader empowerment vehicle if the organisation succeeds in resolving its internal disputes and establishing stable corporate governance.
From idle farms to residential developments
One of Zevic’s central ambitions is its land development programme. Muwoni said the company had identified idle farms in Nyabira and Norton and was converting them into residential developments.
“We are developing Penrose Farm in Nyabira and Porta Farm in Norton with the intention of establishing residential stands for our people,” he said.
The projects have, however, become entangled in the broader dispute over Zevic’s authority to control and allocate stands.
Zvimba Rural District Council chief executive officer Enias Chidakwa confirmed that the local authority had not yet assumed control of the disputed Zevic land because the transfer process remained incomplete.
“The land is not yet in the hands of the council. We are still waiting for the Ministry of Local Government to finalise the necessary documentation relating to the Zevic land,” Chidakwa said.
He said the council was aware of disputes over the property but could not take a position until it received official documentation from the Ministry of Local Government and any relevant court orders.
Chidakwa said the council, therefore, had no official position on the allocation or ownership of the Zevic stands because the administrative and legal processes were still incomplete.
The council’s position illustrates the complexity surrounding the developments.
While Zevic views Penrose and Porta Farm as potentially transformative housing projects, their future remains tied to the resolution of administrative, legal, and governance questions.
A call for dialogue
For Chimonyo, the dispute has gone on for too long. He said Zevic remained willing to negotiate with the opposing side.
“The dispute is still ongoing, but from our side, we remain ready to engage in discussions with our fellow colleagues to find a lasting solution,” Chimonyo said. “Unfortunately, the other side has been resisting efforts to come to the negotiating table.”
He said the current leadership had also approached the Ministry of Local Government seeking intervention. “We even took the matter to the ministry, but nothing has materialised so far,” Chimonyo said.
“We had hoped to use the forthcoming Heroes’ and Defence Forces’ holidays as an opportunity to meet with our fellow comrades, sit around the table and agree on the way forward. However, it appears the other side is not willing to engage.”
The appeal is significant coming from an organisation whose stated purpose is to promote the interests of liberation war veterans.
For Chimonyo, the Heroes’ Day period offers more than an opportunity to remember the past; it could also provide an opportunity for veterans to resolve their differences.
Ministry seeks to bring the sides together
There are signs that government is also aware of the need for a negotiated solution.
Muwoni said the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs was working to bring the two factions together.
“The ministry is working on efforts to unite the two parties so that we can engage under one roof and find a common solution. We believe that, with time, the other side, which has remained adamant, will eventually agree to dialogue,” Muwoni said.
He expressed optimism that negotiations could provide a lasting solution to the dispute. The intervention places the Zevic dispute within the wider national conversation about how Zimbabwe should support and empower veterans of the liberation struggle.
The govt’s veterans’ empowerment agenda
Zimbabwe’s constitution recognises the contribution of veterans of the liberation struggle and provides for measures aimed at their welfare and economic empowerment.
The government has progressively expanded the institutional framework supporting veterans.
The Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs has a mandate that extends beyond welfare to include economic empowerment, investment promotion, and documentation of the liberation struggle, as well as preservation of its legacy.
“The ministry’s programmes include assistance in identifying viable economic projects, accessing land and participating in national empowerment initiatives,” said an official in the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs.
“The government’s approach increasingly recognises that veterans’ welfare cannot be confined to pensions or social assistance. There is a growing emphasis on creating productive assets that can generate income for veterans and their children. This is precisely the space Zevic was designed to occupy.”
What Zevic has built
Despite the conflict, Gada, the operations director, believes Zevic has made significant progress since its establishment.
“Our projects include Penrose Farm in Nyabira, Porta Farm in Norton, an estimated 2 000 residential stands, a vehicle benefit programme, and plant equipment,” Gada said.
“The acquisition of a grader and four tractors demonstrated our intention to develop into a serious investment vehicle rather than remain a symbolic veterans’ organisation. We want to use these foundations to expand beyond Zvimba East.”
A legacy at a crossroads
At the centre of the current structure is Gada, whom the company describes as one of its youngest directors and an architect of its original planning, branding, and operational structure.
Gada is not a liberation war veteran himself, according to the company’s account. His role nevertheless illustrates an important dimension of the veterans’ empowerment agenda: ensuring that the benefits of the liberation struggle extend to younger generations.
The company’s stated vision is to become a legacy corporation that delivers housing, jobs, and empowerment to veterans and their families and eventually expands its projects nationwide.
That vision will ultimately be judged not by the number of court cases won or lost, nor by competing leadership statements, but by whether ordinary beneficiaries receive tangible benefits.
The Heroes’ Day test
Heroes’ Day presents Zimbabwe with an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of liberation beyond history books and annual commemorations.
“Zevic’s ambition was to transform veterans from passive beneficiaries into active participants in the economy,” said Takemore Mazuruse, national spokesperson and Harare Province chairman for the Friends of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle.
Mazuruse said what was required now was the political and institutional will to put the interests of the intended beneficiaries ahead of factional differences.
“As we commemorate our heroes, perhaps the most fitting tribute would be to ensure that institutions created in the name of those sacrifices actually work,” he said.
