Zambia, a former colony of Britain, is among the many commonwealth countries to receive social protection packages in honour of the many war veterans.
Over 7,000 veterans and widows of the Commonwealth will benefit from social protection package worth £11.8 million who served the British Armed Forces will receive protection in form of cash.
Out of the number, 4,500 are veterans and 2,500 widows while around 14,000 thousand veterans today are living across the Commonwealth, with 7,000 veterans and their widows are in need of support to meet their basic needs.
UK-AID’s International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt says the programme to be administered by the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, a charitable organisation which has been supporting those veterans who served.
Mr. Mordaunt disclosed that the Department for International Development (DFID) programme will provide regular cash transfers to Commonwealth veterans and their widows and widowers in more than 30 countries to prevent them from going hungry.
“We owe a tremendous amount to these Commonwealth veterans who served alongside our armed forces in an effort to eliminate poverty,” Mr. Mordaunt said
And British High Commissioner to Zambia Fergus Cochrane-Dyet expressed gratitude that the scheme will benefit Zambian veterans and their widows.
“I’m personally delighted that this scheme will benefit Zambian veterans and their widows,” he said.
Meanwhile, Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL) Deputy Grand President and former Chief of Defence Staff, Lord Richards of Herstmonceux will be visiting Mbala, Zambia during the centenary celebrations as a representative of the United Kingdom.
RCEL was established in 1921 as a charity to provide support to those who served The British Crown during the Great War.
Zambia observes Remembrance Service at the Lusaka Cenotaph on 11 November every year.
This is according to a press statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday by Office of British High Commission in Zambia.
Please ensure it’s paid directly to the War Vets, or else like the Social cash fund, the money will mysteriously grow legs, & walk into P.F. officials crooked deep pockets.
No no don’t pay under PF, please wait for 2022! The war heroes waited all these years, let them hang-in there!
PF still anything including eggs.
PF will “keep” money in Zanaco and send back to UK.
Unfortunately, here in chambia no one can be trusted not even the church. I may not support the hate speech for PF, but on this one let the British commission handle this business and does the transfer directly to our heroes and heroines. The reason is simple civil service is partsan and those inclined to upnd are trying at all times to sabotage the system so that everything fails and blame pf government.we know them. These people behave like crocs that run away from the rains into the river. I end here.
Hahaha, this is laughable indeed. How many war vet do we have in Zambia currently who are living? Remember that the war ended in 1945 and if we have any War Veteran, they must be too old to even walk for one kilometre without support? Let us not include those who fought the Colonialist from 1962 to 1964 when we got our independence. We are talking of those who went to World War 2. I have seen former army officers who fought Lenshina with their decorations but that had nothing to do with the WW2. I think we have not more than 20 who are alive and the rest are just relatives of those who went to the War. Remember that the British did not take babies to war but took those who were above 18 Years and if you do a simple maths from the end of that war to 2018 then you know what I am talking…
You are talking to much and reading to little!
Read the article you f*cking !mbecile before making 5TUPID comment
The money is too little and the war veterans in more developed economies of commonwealth will get bigger chunk compared to those in Africa. These veterans did a lot to protect the interest of Britain in Africa and elsewhere during WW2. And you release peanuts as their payment (mwabombeni).
Another f*cking !mbecile has crapped without reading article
As an ex service man myself I will wear a poppi to commerate all soldiers (not genocidal rebels but real soldiers) who have died in battle be it at the Somme in the first world war or yesterday in Syria. However there is need to also honour many Zambians who have also perished on peace keeping missions, my brothers who perished in Sierra Leone when transporting a truckload of shells, those that died in Darfur and even those that died while serving in Rwanda and Burundi my brothers till we meet again we will join you in that slow march above.
NOTE THIS AND KNOW IT WELL…Any second world war Zambian vets will have to be at LEAST 91yrs old…to qualify for any benefit or pension…I doubt if there are more than 10 still alive…SO WHO ARE THESE FIT YOUNG MEN IN THE PHOTO WITH BUCKETS OF MEDALS.?…None of them have anything to do with service in WWI or WWII…If they have any ‘Rememberance’ to be doing it should be quite seperate…Where did those medals come from.? I suspect fraud…Will someone plese tell me.?