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Vice President Chiwenga

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
VICE President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga has urged Zimbabweans to unite to ensure the country’s development.

Rtd Gen Chiwenga said this while responding to MDC-T deputy president Mr Nelson Chamisa in National Assembly’s question and answer session on Wednesday.

Mr Chamisa had quizzed the Vice President on Government’s commitment to take care of the welfare of war veterans.

Rtd Gen Chiwenga said it was encouraging that legislators were showing maturity in debating national issues saying opposition members should exhibit the same spirit when they speak about Zimbabwe in other countries.

“I wish that all of you would have the same spirit in this august House and suspend going to America and other areas that you have been to,” said Rtd Gen Chiwenga .

Mr Chamisa, People’s Democratic Party president Mr Tendai Biti among others in December rushed to United States and appeared before the US Senate claiming that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration was illegitimate.

Rtd Gen Chiwenga said some of the problems that have affected the country could have been avoided if people were was united.

“I was saying that we need to understand the history behind that journey of the past 37 years that we have gone through. If we had worked together as a nation and not a divided people, we would not be talking about under development or poverty,” said Rtd Gen Chiwenga.

He said Government was committed to improving the welfare of pensioners.

“Everyone would want to see our ex-combatants receiving meaningful pensions but it has to do with what the nation can afford, the capacity to generate wealth which in turn can then be disbursed,” said Gen Chiwenga.

“I hope this is what this august House and every Zimbabwean is trying to achieve and we would want not only war veterans but every Zimbabwean, every pensioner to receive a meaningful pension. As Government, we are seized with that matter. We would want to see all our people, those working, those who are on pension receiving meaningful income, but that money has got to be generated and this is what we are all trying to do.”—@nqotshili