(Last Updated on March 29, 2022 by zimdaily)
HARARE – The second phase of vetting for war veterans by the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board (VLS) has been extended to April 10 to compensate for the days lost during the recent by-elections. The process is progressing well with a total of 57 852 having qualified so far countrywide. The phase, which began last week seeks to ascertain the credentials of all the applicants, including those who did not manage to register for various reasons during the first phase in 1998.
To date, 52 248 war collaborators, 5 086 non-combatant cadres, 82 war veterans and 436 ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees have successfully qualified.
Giving an update on the exercise in Harare yesterday, VLS chief director of War Veterans Affairs, Major-General (Retired) Everisto Dzihwema said the response has been overwhelming adding vetting periods were determined by the numbers that registered under each category.
“The response has been overwhelming throughout the country from all the categories, although the number of ex-political prisoners. detainees and restrictees have been gradually declining. Despite the large numbers, our vetting teams are doing their best to cope with the workload,” he said.
“As a result of these large numbers, and the need to compensate for the break in vetting on 26 March 2022 on account of the by-elections, there has been an extension in the vetting period of non-combatant cadres and ex-political prisoners from 27 March 2022 to 31 March 2022. Equally, the vetting of war collaborators and remnants of war veterans has been extended by an extra day to 1 April 2022.”
“The general outline of the vetting exercise is that non-combatant cadres and remnants of ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees are being vetted at provincial level in all the 10 provinces.
“Non-combatant cadres are being vetted by war veterans familiar with various transit camps.”
[Herald]