University students who question pension lump sums paid to war veterans and say this precipitated the collapse of the country’s economy are “educated ignorants”, Jabulani Sibanda, leader of the ex-combatants charged.
Stephen Chadenga OWN CORRESPONDENT
Addressing students at the Midlands State University, Sibanda accused students of being ignorant and being used by opposition parties.
“Students who say the economy worsened because of compensations received by war vets are educated ignorants (sic),” he said.
“Such students are eloquent in saying these things, but at the end of the day they would have said nothing.”
Sibanda said even fighters from Western countries were given land in Burma as compensation for participating in World War II.
War veterans were awarded ZW$50 000, then a fortune, in 1997 in gratuities each by President Robert Mugabe’s government after staging a series of protests.
Critics argue the unbudgeted pay-outs saw the Zimbabwe dollar losing its value by 70% in one day and was the turning point in the collapse of the country’s economy.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Sibanda then warned students against joining planned protests by the MDC-T, saying this was not good for the country.
“Don’t be fooled by opposition political parties and be given money to participate in protests. It is not good for you as students and the country,” he said, without a hint of irony, considering that even former fighters had to stage a number of protests to receive their gratuities.
