The Sunday Mail
Livingstone Marufu
GOVERNMENT will soon release US$6,4 million for payment of second term school fees for children and dependents of war veterans.
This follows President Mugabe’s promise in April to improve the welfare of former freedom fighters and their dependents.
About 43 000 children are listed as beneficiaries of the War Veterans School Fees Fund.
Secretary for Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Political Detainees and Ex-Restrictees Brigadier-General (Retired) Walter Tapfumaneyi told The Sunday Mail that Treasury had already transferred some of the money to accounts of beneficiaries.
“We are in the process of receiving money from Treasury as part of US$6,4 million billing per term. Some of the funds are already reflecting in our account.
“We are finalising clearing the remaining arrears for first term with schools that hold other accounts since we first dealt with account holders in banks such as POSB, Cabs and CBZ where the majority of our members are banked.
“We will be done with the minority accounts by early next week to pave way for the new processes which we believe won’t take time to dispatch to different schools as we have completed a new database of beneficiaries.
“Most parents are grateful with the work we have done so far, but we feel there is need to increase our pace so that children are not inconvenienced due to late payment of school fees. We plead with schools not to turn away children from attending lessons for non-payment of fees.”
Rtd Brig-Gen Tapfumaneyi said the new database of beneficiaries would root out fake claims.
War veterans are entitled to pensions, education fees, medical support, funeral cover, loans and subsistence benefits.
Rtd Brig-Gen Tapfumaneyi said a special purpose vehicle — People’s Own Wealth Empowerment Right (Power) Zimbabwe Private Limited — had been established to increase war veterans’ financial capacity through multi-million-dollar initiatives.
Dzimbahwe Trust superintends the SPV, which will seek stakes in mining, agriculture, media and other businesses.
