[4] During the Rhodesian Bush War, a number of the guerrillas and their supporters had been led to believe that they would receive land expropriated from the country's white minority in the event of a military or political victory.
[6] In accordance with the Lancaster House Agreement, the Zimbabwean government agreed to delay land redistribution by means of compulsory seizure for ten years.
Following its first congress in 1992, the ZNLWVA resolved to secure the welfare of all ZANLA or ZIPRA veterans, and lobby the state on their behalf concerning two issues: pensions and other public benefits, and land ownership.
The ZNLWVA pointed out that ZIPRA and ZANLA personnel excluded from the Zimbabwe National Army at independence had received only meagre pensions of Z$185 per month until 1983.
[10] In January 2000, ZNLWVA wrote a letter addressed to Queen Elizabeth II and communicated through Peter Longworth, the British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe.
It gave vent to the frustrations of landless veterans and blamed the nation's white minority of predominantly British descent for refusing to participate in constructive land reform.
[13] Due to the organization's political clout and known affiliation with several ZANU-PF cabinet ministers, the Zimbabwe Republic Police was reluctant to investigate the ZNLWVA for its alleged crimes.
[13] ZNLWVA has a close alliance with Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the ruling party, and by extension the government formerly led by Robert Mugabe.