Zimbabwe liberation war veterans demand $4,8k pension allowance
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Zimbabwe liberation war veterans demand $4,8k pension allowance

War Veterans Pressure Group has approached the High Court to seek for a declaratur  that compels Government to pay the war veterans their approved 2020 monthly pensions allowances of $4 800.

The pressure group which is an informal politically unaffiliated grouping of the war veterans is being supported on the cause by seven other applicants namely Amos Sigauke Shoorayi Nyamangodo, Digmore Ndiya, Dadirayi Njitimana, Fredrick Ngombe, Reuben Zulu, Joseph Chinguwa who are also war veterans.

The applicants cited Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri as the first respondent with Finance and Development Minister Mthuli Ncube and Pension Master-Civil Service Commission cited as second and third respondents respectively.

The group’s national chairperson, Sigauke in his founding affidavit filed by Kanoti and Partners lawfirm said the three respondents have been underpaying them despite an existing court order stating that their monthly pension is $2 000 not $513.

This amount excludes the 140% cost of living adjustment effected by Government since the beginning of the year.

This is an application for a declaratory order that the applicants according to War Veterans Pension Scheme Regulations( 1997 were entitled to receive from the respondents jointly a total of $4 800 monthly effective from their January 2020 when respondents effected an across 140 percent cost of living adjustment to all civil servants generally and war veterans monthly pension of $2 000 together with the arrears to date of payment beginning on the first pay date succeeding the month of the grant of such order, with cost on the legal and client scale,” he said.

Sigauke said on March 13, 2020 as applicants they received an order from the High Court under case number 1548/19 against the same respondents to the effect that the war veterans had to be paid monthly pension of $2000 which was subject to regulations and payable until they die.

A mandamus was also issued against the respondents but however, as up to December last year Sigauke and other applicants were wrongfully receiving $513 monthly.

“… We received the 140 percent cost of living adjustment on the $513 on 24 March 2020 backdated to January 2020 as $1 275 per month .Despite advice of the calculated requisite monthly sum and its consequent arrears to date including demand of payment for same increment should have been $2800 over and above the $2 000 thus giving a total of $4 800 per month to every qualifying war veteran.”

The case is yet to be heard.

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