Mnangagwa Bribes War Vets With Expensive Cars – ZimEye

📅 Published: August 18, 2025

Curated by AllZimNews.com

Matobo District field officer Caleb Ndlovu said he was “so excited” by the recognition, while Mberengwa District field officer Arnold Chiwira said the vehicles would make it easier to reach fellow veterans.

Veterans Affairs Minister Senator Monica Mavhunga claimed the cars would improve welfare services, project monitoring, hospital visits, and school attendance verification for dependants of war veterans.

She insisted the presence of the ministry would now be “more visible and felt in the communities. ”
But behind the rhetoric of welfare lies a familiar political tactic.

Since the early 2000s, Zanu PF has routinely deployed war veterans as its enforcers during elections, particularly in rural areas.

These “recognition packages” — cars, land, farming inputs, or cash — have historically been tied to the expectation that war veterans will mobilise support for the ruling party and suppress dissent.

During the violent 2000 parliamentary elections and the 2008 presidential run-off, war veterans played a central role in terror campaigns that saw villagers assaulted, opposition supporters abducted, and rural communities threatened with eviction if they did not vote for Zanu PF.

In many cases, war veterans acted as foot soldiers of the state, spearheading voter intimidation while state institutions turned a blind eye.

This latest handover of vehicles, critics argue, is less about honouring sacrifices made during the liberation struggle and more about securing political loyalty at a time when Mnangagwa faces growing factional battles within Zanu PF and declining legitimacy among ordinary Zimbabweans.

For many villagers, the arrival of war veterans in new government-funded vehicles does not symbolise welfare delivery — it is a chilling reminder of the fear they have endured every election season for the past two decades. 🔗

” style=”color: #007bff;”>admin@allzimnews. com.

Get the complete story and stay updated with the latest Zimbabwe news

All Zim News aggregates news from a variety of sources for public interest and historical record