DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2014.v02i01.021

Pages: 116-128

The main thrust of the article is to examine the extent to which the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front led government handled the welfare of war veterans since 1980 to the present (2013). Guided by primary and secondary sources the presentation argues that the government ignored crucial but fundamental aspects of the welfare of the war veterans in its post-conflict disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process. In addition, it asserts that when the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front led government was confronted by a vibrant political party since 1999, it sought the support of war veterans to dislocate all the stakeholders of the Movement for Democratic Change. It concludes that the war veterans made the country insecure as they responded to the demands of the government because they hoped to acquire benefits for their participation and to date the war veterans have violated the legal system of the country without retribution. Therefore, to end these unending demands, it is imperative to conduct a war veteran needs assessment and even set a ceiling on their benefits to curtail the mercenary like strategies they are now using at the expense of the civilians who were central to the conduct of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. Overall, the war veterans posed and continue to threaten peace and security as long as a lasting solution is not hatched on their welfare challenges.