More than 30,000 war veterans without pensions – Mozambique

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More than 30,000 war veterans without pensions – Mozambique

6:57 CAT | 02 Sep 2016

Domingo (File photo)

Of the 100,000 fighters recorded in the first phase of identification and registration of veterans of both the country’s national liberation struggle and its 16-year civil war, about 30,000 fighters still do not benefit from the pension created by the state to cater for the group.

The Director of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Combatants, Horacio Massangaie, quoted in today’s edition of Noticias, claimed that the paperwork of these former combatants has been sent to the Ministry of Finance to be integrated in the group which already enjoys social assistance from the state.

“At least 30,975 of the 168,172 fighters registered in the first phase of identification and registration of veterans of the national liberation struggle and the fighters for the defence of sovereignty and the struggle for democracy do not benefit from the survival pension created by the state for them,” Notícias writes.

The allocation of pensions to this group of soldiers is subject to budget provision in state finances. “This can mean that the fighters who already have their processes with the Ministry of Finance not being included in the payment of pensions all at once,” Massangaie explains.

According to Massangaie, the Ministry of Combatants recently completed the first phase of identification and registration of combatants, a process that began in 1986 and included veterans of the national liberation struggle, former members of the Popular Forces for the Liberation of Mozambique (FPLM), and the fighters for democracy and national sovereignty.

The process was carried out under the first ministerial decree which established the social benefits of citizens who directly participated in the liberation struggle in the national forces as well as former members of FPLM and FAM.

The Mozambican government plans to build 19 houses in Marracuene in Maputo this year to house homeless fighters, and is working on building homes for fighters with disabilities, either physical or mental.

“Over the past few months we have been completed 18 houses in Matola, which have been delivered to disabled fighters in Maputo province. This number will increase with the delivery later this year of the Marracuene houses.”

“Our challenge is to build homes to house the approximately 1,200 fighters around the country already identified as having disabilities and in need of food aid,” Massangaie said.

Source: AIM