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*Mliswa Queries Number Of War Veterans*

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Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa (Independent) has accused the government of corruption and misinformation after the number of war veterans rose from 34 000 to 142 000 since 1997.

Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube announced plans to disburse US$57.5 million to war veterans when he presented his 2023 national budget before Parliament in November.

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However, during the debate in the National Assembly last week on the 2023 national budget, Mliswa queried how the number of ex-combatants has grown from 34 000 in 1997 to 142 000 in 2022. He said:

> The war veterans population shows the highest level of corruption, misinformation, and its criminal nature that there is no way war veterans can increase from 34 000 to 142 000 in 2022.

> Despite that increase, what boggles my mind is that 142 000 war veterans have been given $46 billion, which is US$57.5 million, 1% of the total budget while social protection has been given $50 billion, which is about US$63 million, 1.12% of the total budget.

Mliswa argued that the funds should have been used to feed and pay school fees for millions of children who are in dire need of assistance. He said:

> This is despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Social Protection Unit is in a dire situation with 3.8 million rural people facing food starvation and 1.6 million facing urban starvation.

> There are 4.6 million children living with severe acute malnutrition and 4.8 million in need of the Basic Education Assistance Module, known as BEAM.

> Therefore, if one is to take into account these allocations, it is fair to argue that the budget is not inclusive and it disregards the plight of the marginalised and vulnerable citizens.

The 2023 national budget was passed by Members of Parliament last week, which means that the allocations will be effected. | NewsDay

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