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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THE vetting exercise for war veterans including non-combatant cadres, ex-political prisoners, detainees, restrictees and war collaborators, will be decentralised to districts.

Zanu-PF national chairman, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said during a rally she addressed at Mbalabala Business Centre in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South this past Sunday.

The rally was meant to drum up support for Zanu-PF’s six council candidates contesting in the by-elections to be held on Saturday.

The six are Cde Silabaziso Nkala (Ward 20 Umzingwane), Cde Thembani Mathuthu (Ward 7, Gwanda), Cde Shepard Maphosa (Ward 20, Insiza) Cde Cassper Moyo (Ward 11 Insiza), Cde Showa Moyo and Cde Lawrence Tshili both from Beitbridge.

The 12-day vetting exercise started on Sunday and will end on March 31.

The veterans of the liberation Struggle Economic Empowerment Programmes and Vetting Exercise was launched by President Mnangagwa last year.

Under this second phase of the programme, applicants who registered are supposed to report for vetting at various centres across the country’s 10 provinces where vetting teams will be deployed to ascertain their credentials.

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri who is also Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs said the Second Republic was going forward with the vetting exercise and people will be vetted at district level.

“I have heard that there are some war veterans in this province who have to travel to Gwanda for the vetting exercise. We are working on solutions to fix this problem. We shall release a statement to see if this exercise can go to the people in the districts, not for them to go to one centre,” said Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri.

She said there was land donated by Government at growth points for flats to be built for war veterans so that they have decent accommodation.

She said pensions for war veterans will be doubled starting this month and there are joint venture projects meant to benefit the veterans of the liberation struggle.

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said President Mnangagwa assured the nation that no one will go hungry despite the drought this year.

“The President sent me to tell you that no one will go hungry despite the fact that many will not harvest this season due to the prolonged dry spell. Zanu-PF has people at heart and it will work with the people. There are wars in Ukraine where we used to get fertiliser but now our universities are now manufacturing our own which is cheap. We have been told that by the end of the year, the fertiliser will be available. This means if fertiliser is cheap, maize as well as mealie-meal will also be cheap,” she said.

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said land barons are going to be held accountable for duping people in the many cities and towns.

She said Government in a bid to ensure victims of land barons are not prejudiced, was working on giving them title deeds.