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Christopher Mutsvangwa

Bianca Mlilo, Business Reporter
THE government is setting up various companies under the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees, and Restrictees to help empower the former freedom fighters and their families, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.

Christopher Mutsvangwa said his ministry would set up businesses that include a hospital project, beef processing, chrome mining, gold mining, and steel production companies, among other ventures.

He said they were also working on reviving fallen giant meat company, the Cold Storage Company.

The companies will be set up in partnership with global players such as India, China, the Ukraine and Russia.

Mutsvangwa said the businesses would generate funds for the ministry’s coffers and wean off war veterans’ children who depend on Treasury for school fees.

He said dividends from the companies would also help the former freedom fighters fend for their families.

The war vets ministry has an education assistance fund and a funeral assistance fund for war veterans funded by Treasury.

Mutsvangwa told Business Chronicle on the sidelines of the Southern Region Constitutional Alignment Conference in Bulawayo yesterday that the formation of the companies was at various stages.

“The ambitions of war veterans to do business are as big as going to war. Ventures like the bus and trucks assembly are at feasibility stage, while others are at contract negotiation stage.

Beef is big business worldwide now. China and Indonesia are demanding a lot of beef and we are working on the restoration of CSC facilities so that we can take advantage of this opportunity,” said Mutsvangwa.

The minister said multi- million dollar contracts would be signed under this programme and the business ventures would give birth to new brands.

He said there was a “tectonic shift in global brand names”.

The Minister could not, however, be drawn to disclose their partners by name citing confidentiality issues.

He said Zimbabwean war veterans would work with Mozambique and South African war veterans associations in setting up the various companies.

Mutsvangwa was addressing war veterans at a workshop held at a hotel in Bulawayo. The workshop was on the alignment of laws that affect the former freedom fighters with the new Constitution. It was organised by the Centre for Legal Resources and Research and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.