War veterans in Mashonaland East on Wednesday demanded that their pension benefits be raised to match salaries of serving army lieutenant-colonels.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a public meeting by the Calisto Gwanetsa-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Security held at Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera, war veterans said the current economic conditions have eroded their meagre earnings, hence a hike of at least $2 000 or an equivalent to a lieutenant-colonel\u2019s salary would suffice.<\/p>\n
One of the war veterans, Victor Chinyama said their current $313 monthly pension payout was a disservice and mockery to the welfare of the liberation fighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current benefits of $313 is too little for our welfare. It is not enough given the current inflation rate. We need our monthly monies to be raised to an
\nequivalent of a lieutenant-colonel\u2019s salary. Some are saying it\u2019s around $2 000 or somewhere there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The portfolio committee is currently on a nationwide tour conducting public hearings on the welfare of war veterans following a petition handed over to
\nParliament by a 1970\u2019s disgruntled liberation war fighter who cited neglect of the group.<\/p>\n
A popular Marondera war veteran Patrick Makombe weighed in and charged that their current earnings are illegal.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the War Veterans Act, the current earnings of $313 is illegal. Those in authority know about it. The legal position is that a war veteran is
\nentitled to<\/p>\n
$2 000 per month. Let us follow the legal procedures, the current earnings are illegal,\u201d Makombe said.<\/p>\n
Some of the war veterans bemoaned the current harsh economic conditions that has seen some of their ailing members failing to earn a decent living as well as
\naccessing medical care.<\/p>\n
War veterans have been continuously demanding favours from the central government among them more money and land. In the late 90s they were given $50 000 each
\nwith some of them later being allocated pieces of land during the 2000 land reform programme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
War veterans in Mashonaland East on Wednesday demanded that their pension benefits be raised to match salaries of serving army lieutenant-colonels. Speaking during a public meeting by the Calisto Gwanetsa-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Security held at Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera, war veterans said the current economic conditions have eroded their meagre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":8577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[260,234,251,317],"class_list":{"0":"post-11885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-payment","10":"tag-salaries","11":"tag-us-dollar","12":"tag-war-veterans"},"yoast_head":"\n