Maputo, 13 Sep (AIM) – The Mozambican government hopes to start paying pensions to demobilised guerrillas of the former rebel movement Renamo as from 23 September.
Between 2019 and June of this year, about 5,000 members of the Renamo militia were demobilised under the government’s DDR (Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration) programme, and the final 16 Renamo military bases were closed.
Paying pensions to the former guerrillas was one of the last stumbling blocks to completing the DDR. The Renamo leadership refused to close the last base, in the central district of Gorongosa, until it received a firm commitment from the government that the pensions will be paid.
But payment is now being held up because many of the beneficiaries have not yet registered and do not have bank accounts.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, after the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the government spokesperson, Deputy Justice Minister Filimao Suaze, said the former fighters must bring their documentation to the district, provincial or central offices of the Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs.
“We hope that by 23 September we will have paid the pensions, as soon as they have been approved by the Administrative Tribunal”, said Suaze. “But payment will be made directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries”.
The former guerrillas thus have ten days to regularize their registration with the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.
Registration is necessary. Suaze insisted, so that, in the future, the former fighters do not complain that they have been excluded.
(AIM)
Pf/ (258)
