Former liberation war-fighters, demobilized on the promises of ‘honey and milk’ in the post-independence Zimbabwe feel cheated by their leadership and the government as they have nothing to show for the sacrifices they made to free the country from British rule, Ethan Mathibela leader of a splinter group has said.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mathibela, spokesperson of the Liberation Veterans of Zimbabwe Association demanded an enabling environment for ex-combatants to engage in income-generating projects in sectors such as mining, farming, and manufacturing among others.
“Contrary to a popular belief that after independence, we would come home to Honey and Milk, 95 percent of veterans of the liberation struggle continue to wallow in abject poverty forty years post-independence,” said Mathibela.
“Many of us are dying not because of advanced age but because we cannot afford access to healthcare. The majority of us do not even have titled homes let alone access to basic necessities such as water and electricity,” he added.
Mathibela ripped into their national leadership whom he said continue to sideline their aspirations.
“The association performed and continue to perform very badly because of its leadership which upon election they abandoned their mandate to provide lasting solutions to the welfare of veterans,” he said.
