by Tendai Madinah, Zimbabwe, January 1998
THEME = JUSTICE
A disturbing situation arose towards the
end of 1997, with President Robert Mugabe's government
crossing swords with its longtime ally, the Liberation War
Veterans. It was all to do
with the establishment of the Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku
Judicial Commission of Inquiry,
into the looting of over Z$400 million from the War Victims
Compensation Fund
in eight months, by senior government officials and politicians
Former freedom fighters believe that the Commission of Inquiry set up in August 1997, was out to embarrass them, and at the same time to protect the government officials and politicians mentioned above.
On 10 November 1997, former freedom fighters disrupted the Commission's hearings when their national Chairman, Chenjerai Hunzvi, was giving evidence concerning allegations that he had helped his relatives (including his 77-year-old father) get compensation, by forging their medical reports. War veterans broke into a series of exaggerated coughs which prompted Justice Chidyausiku to adjourn the hearings. They then started to sing and dance and denounced the Commission and War Veterans board members, Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa and General (rtd) Tapfumanei Mujuri. The demonstrators also raised placards bearing inscriptions such as: "Z$50,000 today, or else, war".
Zimbabwe's citizens are concerned by what might be a major cover-up by the authorities.
Gabriel Shumba is the Student Union's president at the University of Zimbabwe. He says: "While we agree that Dr Hunzvi might have a case to answer, we are worried about the growing list of those who are attempting to cover up a grand scam. Until these big fish are also paraded, quizzed and probed by the Commission, the said Commission remains a charade".
Reginald Matchaba-Hove is chairman of ZIMRIGHTS, a human rights organisation. He affirms that the impression is being given that the Commission is going for soft targets, while the big sharks are being handled with kid gloves.
John Makumbe is a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe. He says that war veterans are right in saying the Commission is useless, because when the government agreed to pay the Z$50,000 gratuity to former freedom fighters, it was riding rough-shod over the Commission. He adds: "When you have someone like Hunzvi who only got about Z$12,000, and then there are others who received about eight times that amount and are now diplomats in Canada, then we've got a problem". (This refers to Reward Marufu who illegally claimed Z$800,000 and has been given a diplomatic posting to Canada).
Opposition politician Alois Masepe, secretary-general of the Popular Front for Democracy, said the Commission of Inquiry is a political trick by the ruling ZANU (PF) to give itself the opportunity of play-acting at transparency in government. The fact that the Commission's ultimate objective is not to reveal the truth but to cover it up, speaks volumes for itself. He invites us to take a look at some of the Commission members.
The Commission's chairman, Justice Chidyausiku is a ZANU (PF) member who served as an appointed Member of Parliament until his appointment as a High Court judge. Gula-Ndebele is also a ZANU (PF) activist, and until recently was serving on the powerful Government Tender Board. Moreover, he is a beneficiary of the War Victims Fund and his own claim needs to be looked into! Bishop Peter Hatendi is a long-standing member of the much- criticised Election Supervisory Commission. He was appointed to this position by President Mugabe. Civic organisations and the broad-based opposition view the Election Supervisory Commission as an arm of the ruling party. By implication, the bishop is regarded as friendly and sympathetic towards the ruling party. Other Commission members have been, in Masepe's opinion, appointed to the Commission of Inquiry to provide balance as regards race and gender.
Following demonstrations last year, the President agreed to pay all former combatants Z$50,000 as a gratuity, and a Z$2,000 monthly pension, payment to start in January 1998. This hastily agreed package commits the government to an estimated Z$5.7 billion in the first year of implementation, thus making a complete mess of the country's economy. Goodness knows what it's going to cost in the future!
There were immediate reactions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. To calm the situation, Zimbabwe's Finance Minister, Herbert Murerwa, announced in mid-November that he was instituting sweeping cuts to recurrent and capital expenditure, so as to raise funds for the veterans. He denied that the deficit would overshoot the government's official targets, and said he was pinning his hopes on additional revenue-enhancing measures that his ministry was in the process of preparing.
President Mugabe says that former freedom fighters are not the only people appearing before the Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry. He insisted that the Commission is not there to harass veterans, but to provide the government with a report for determining what to do next.
END
PeaceLink 1998 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement