By A Correspondent-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has launched a housing initiative targeting veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation war, in what critics view as a calculated move to appease a key but restive constituency ahead of a potential constitutional power grab.

The programme—dubbed The Presidential Stands for Veterans of the Liberation Struggle—was officially launched this week in Harare, with the government promising to deliver 50,000 serviced residential stands across the country. The project is being implemented in partnership with Prevail Group International, a private company owned by Paul Tungwarara, a politically connected businessman who also serves as a Special Presidential Investment Adviser.

Tungwarara’s firm will coordinate the acquisition, servicing, and distribution of the stands through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. However, the initiative has raised widespread concern over transparency and timing, as well as the political motives behind it.

A Legacy of Political Bribery

The move echoes a longstanding ZANU PF tradition of using war veterans as political shock troops—and rewarding them handsomely when their loyalty appears to waver.

In 1997, then-President Robert Mugabe made a landmark decision to award war veterans unbudgeted gratuities of Z$50,000 each and a monthly pension, after months of protests and threats from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) under the late Chenjerai “Hitler” Hunzvi. That decision—widely viewed as a bribe—triggered a collapse in investor confidence, crashed the Zimbabwean dollar, and marked the beginning of the country’s economic freefall.

Since then, ZANU PF has continued to rely on war veterans for both symbolic legitimacy and physical enforcement of its rule. In the 2000s, war veterans were deployed to spearhead violent farm invasions and suppress opposition support in rural areas. In return, they were compensated with land, pensions, and a degree of impunity.

The latest housing initiative is seen as part of that same transactional logic: to contain mounting discontent among war veterans and secure their allegiance ahead of Mnangagwa’s widely speculated bid to extend his rule beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms.

Timing and Transparency in Question

The launch of the programme comes 45 years after the end of the liberation war, raising uncomfortable questions about why it is being rolled out now—when most surviving war veterans are elderly, ailing, and impoverished. Many critics argue that even if they are awarded residential stands, few have the means to build homes without further financial support.

There are also doubts over the actual number of surviving war veterans. While the government claims the initiative targets 50,000 beneficiaries, its own internal estimates place the number of living, eligible veterans at fewer than 30,000. This has fuelled suspicions that the scheme may benefit politically connected individuals under the guise of empowering war veterans.

Paul Tungwarara’s growing portfolio of government-linked projects has also attracted scrutiny. He has been awarded several multi-million-dollar tenders without going through open bidding processes. These include:

• The Presidential War Veterans Borehole Scheme
• The Presidential War Veterans Housing Scheme
• The Presidential War Veterans Fund
• The Presidential Solar Programme

All of these initiatives are framed under the “Presidential” brand, reinforcing the narrative that benefits for the veterans are directly tied to Mnangagwa’s leadership.

Political Motives Underlying the Programme

Observers suggest the initiative is part of a broader campaign by Mnangagwa to shore up support within the ruling party and the security establishment as speculation grows that he intends to overstay his welcome.

While Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution imposes a two-term limit, Mnangagwa’s allies have been floating the idea of extending his presidency until 2030 or beyond. In this context, pacifying the war veterans—who have a history of decisive intervention in Zimbabwean politics—is seen as essential.

Veterans Minister Monica Mavhunga, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, and Tungwarara were all present at the signing ceremony in Harare. In his remarks, Garwe said:

“Our Constitution provides for the accord of honour, respect and economic empowerment for our veterans. The Second Republic has put this into practice by appointing the Ministry of War Veterans and initiating projects aimed at improving their welfare.”

Yet civil society actors, opposition politicians, and some within the war veterans’ ranks remain unconvinced. They point out that the same government has failed to deliver on past promises to the veterans, many of whom live in poverty and have gone for years without receiving their full pensions.