Currently, only War Veterans and Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees are receiving benefits. They are entitled to:

 Educational assistance at government institutions. Where they elect to enroll at non-government institutions or outside the country, they receive assistance equal to what is payable at government institutions and they pay the difference
 Medical treatment at government medical institutions or at private institutions on referral.
 Funeral grants for the primary beneficiaries only. Dependants are not eligible for this benefit.
 Economic empowerment initiatives, such as 20% of land gazetted for resettlement, land for housing and mining claims.

The Statutory Instrument 281 of 1997 Section 6 (4) stipulates that “The cost of academic studies or vocational training of any dependent child of a war veteran shall continue to be met in terms of this section after the attainment of the age of eighteen years for such period thereafter as the Board may fix: Provided that the studies were or the training was commenced while the beneficiary was below the age of eighteen years and are being pursued on a full-time basis”.

Individuals seeking to apply for Veteran status or benefits should:

 Contact the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs or visit their official website for application forms and guidelines.
 Provide necessary documentation, such as proof of participation in the liberation struggle and identification documents.
 Undergo the vetting process as per the Ministry's procedures.

The Act recognizes four categories and defines them as follows: War Veteran means any person who underwent military training and participated, consistently and persistently, as a member of either the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) of ZANU or Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) of ZAPU, in the liberation struggle which occurred in Zimbabwe and in neighbouring countries between the 1st January, 1962, and the 29th February, 1980, in connection with the bringing about of Zimbabwe’s independence on the18th April, 1980.

Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees, and Restrictee “means any person who after the 1st January, 1959, was imprisoned, detained, or restricted in Zimbabwe for a period of at least six months, or for two or more periods amounting to not less than six months, for political activity in connection with the bringing about of Zimbabwe’s independence on the 18th April, 1980”; and

Non-Combatant Cadre means any person accredited as such in terms of this Act who, having crossed any of Zimbabwe’s borders for purposes of participating in the liberation struggle as a member of ZANLA or ZIPRA forces but due to circumstances beyond his or her control did not get military training and remained in the transit camp in Mozambique and Zambia until 29th November, 1979; and

War Collaborator means any person who had at least attained the age of 16 years by the 31st December, 1979, and who in the period between 1975 until the 29th February, 1980, was consistently and persistently closely linked with the operations of the war veterans through any one or more of the following actions—(a) carrying out reconnaissance activities and providing information for the benefit of the War Veterans; (b) delivering food, medication and clothing to the war veterans; (c) carrying war veterans’ equipment from one point to another; (d) fighting as, though not having been trained as, a war veterans; (e) tending or giving sanctuary to wounded War Veterans.

Please take note that in the definition of Non-Combatant Cadre, Botswana was omitted as one of the countries that had transit camps. This was error that is being rectified.

Yes, the Ministry maintains a database of registered War Veterans and Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees. The Ministry also has a database of all provisionally successfully vetted Non-Combatant Cadres and War Collaborators. Currently, the Ministry is working on a fully-fledged digital system for its work processes to further improve services delivery.

All War Veterans and Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees who were vetted in terms of the repealed War Veterans Act [Chap 11:15] and the Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Acts do not need to be vetted again. They are already in the registers. The position is different with the other categories of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, namely Non-Combatant Cadres and War Collaborators. They were vetted in 2022 and a mop up vetting was conducted towards the end of 2024. The Ministry is now in the process of gazetting their names so that they are also included in the registers.

The Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Fund is established in terms of the Act and is administered by the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board through the Chief Director.

Income of the Fund
The Fund shall consist of—
(a) moneys appropriated for the purpose of the Fund by Parliament; or
(b) any gifts or grants made to the Fund by any person or authority or by the government of any country; or
(c) any interest derived from or increase in any assets of the Fund in any form whatsoever; or
(d) any other moneys to which the Fund may be lawfully entitled.
Objective of Fund

The objective to which the Fund is to be applied shall be the rendering of such assistance and the disbursement of such benefits as in terms of this Act as are specified to be rendered by or disbursed from the Fund to veterans of the liberation struggle and their dependants.

Application of Fund

In order to give effect to the object of the Fund, the Fund may be applied to any one or more of the following in accordance with any scheme established by or under this Act —
(a) grants for the physical, mental or social rehabilitation of veterans of the liberation struggle; or
(b) grants for manpower development with a view to providing Veterans of the Liberation Struggle with academic, technical, vocational or other skills or any other training necessary to equip them for employment or gainful occupation; or
(c) the provision of loans, whether with or without interest, and financial, technical, managerial or any other form of assistance to veterans of the liberation struggle involved in income-generating projects, whether as individuals or as members of groups, associations or co-operative societies; or
(d) grants for funeral expenses in respect of veterans of the liberation struggle

In terms of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act, the functions of the Board shall be—
(a) to advise the Minister on the establishment of any scheme in terms of this Act or on any matter relating to any scheme;
(b) to address issues relating to rights, benefits and the general welfare of veterans of the liberation struggle;
(c) to examine and determine any representations by any person claiming entitlement to be accredited or registered as a veteran of the liberation struggle or dependant where such accreditation or registration has been refused by the Ministry;
(d) subject to this Act, to hear and determine any representations or complaints made by any veteran of the liberation struggle or dependant of such veteran relating to the grant, payment or delivery of any benefit to him or her;
(e) to perform any other function which the Minister may confer on the Board for the purposes of this Act.

Who qualifies as a Heroes Dependant? According to Section 2 of the National Heroes Act [Chapter 10:16],
a dependant includes:
i. A biological child,
ii. A stepchild,
iii. A legally adopted child,
iv. A widow or widower,
v. Any other person who was wholly or mainly dependent on the Heroe at the time of death,

b. What assistance is available to Heroes’ Dependants?
i. Eligible dependants may receive:
ii. State Assistance
iii. Educational Assistance
iv. Medical Assistance
v. Incidental Assistance

c. How do I apply for Educational Assistance?
Submit the Educational Assistance Form at your nearest District or Provincial Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Office along with:
i. Declaration letter
ii. Death certificate of the Hero/Heroine
iii. Marriage certificate of the primary beneficiary (if applicable)
iv. Long birth certificate of the child
v. Original invoice from the school or tertiary institution

d. How do I apply for Medical Assistance?
Submit the following at your nearest District or Provincial Office:
i. Three quotations from registered medical institutions
ii. Supporting documents verifying the relationship to the Hero/ Heroine such as
iii. Declaration letter
iv. Marriage certificate
v. Long birth certificate if it's a child

e. How do I apply for National Heroes Spouse pension?

You must complete a PD2 form, which is the official application for the pension assistance. Submit the completed form at any District or Provincial Office.

f. Where can I get the PD2 Form? PD2 Forms are available free of charge at all District and Provincial Offices of the Ministry.

g. Can more than one dependant apply for assistance? Yes. All eligible dependants (e.g., multiple children, widow/widower) may apply individually for relevant forms of assistance as long as they meet the dependency criteria outlined in the Act.

h. What if the Heroes/Heroine spouse is deceased—can a guardian apply on behalf of minor children? Yes. A legal guardian can apply on behalf of the minor dependants with appropriate supporting documents (e.g., court-appointed guardianship order, birth certificates).

i. Is there a deadline for submitting educational or medical assistance requests? Yes. Educational assistance applications should be submitted before the start of each term/semester. Medical assistance should be applied for before treatment, unless in emergency cases where retrospective approval may be considered.

j. What happens after I submit a PD2 form? The PD2 form is processed at the Ministry headquarters and forwarded to the Pensions Office. You will be contacted once the outcome is determined. Processing times may vary.

k. Are Heroes' Dependants automatically registered with the Ministry? No. Dependants must formally register through the Registration form or by submitting required documentation during assistance application.

l. What if I lost my documents (e.g., death certificate, birth certificate)? You will need to obtain replacements from the Registrar General’s Office before applying for assistance. Only valid and certified documents are accepted.

m. Can I appeal if my application is rejected? Yes. Appeals can be made in writing to the Heroes Dependants Assistance Board

n. What if the deceased national hero died without being legally married? If the Heroe/ Heroine passed away without a civil or registered marriage, a customary union may still be recognized. In such cases, the surviving partner must submit:
i. Customary marriage certificate
ii. Affidavits from three witnesses confirming the existence of the customary union
iii. Declaration letter
iv. Death certificate of the Hero/ Heroine

 A War Victim is any person (civilian or combatant) who suffered bodily harm or psychological trauma as a direct result of the liberation war. This includes:
 Persons maimed or injured by landmines, bombings, or crossfire.
 Persons who suffered permanent disability or mental health conditions due to war-related events.
 Civilians who were caught in the conflict zones or targeted during the war.

 War victims are entitled to disability pensions or grants, depending on the degree of disability and a range of benefits, including:
i. Medical examination and treatment
ii. Refund of medical expenses
iii. Clothing allowance
iv. Traveling and subsistence allowance
v. Constant attendant
vi. Widow’s pension
vii. Vocational training
viii. Funeral Expenses
ix. Educational allowance
x. Children’s allowance
xi. Assistive devices
 Medical treatment and rehabilitation services
 Disability pensions or grants, depending on the level of injury
 Assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs, prosthetics)
 Educational assistance for dependents
 Funeral assistance for deceased war victims
Note: Benefits are subject to confirmation through medical assessment and verification by the Ministry.

Once a disablement pension is commuted, one cannot be reinstated. However, if the disability deteriorates, one can seek medical examination to determine the percentage of deterioration. Once determined, one can then be compensated for that deterioration.

Compensation was suspended following war victims fund maladministration that was discovered by the Chidyausiku Commission in 1998. The Ministry, through the war victim’s compensation department is currently putting in place all the recommendations of the Chidyausiku Commission and as soon as they are done, medical assessment and compensation will resume.