• The Department was established in 1997 under the Office of the President and Cabinet to cater for the Welfare of War Veterans. It took over responsibilities of welfare services from the Ministry of Social Welfare. Its offices were housed at Pax House in Harare. It began activities upon vetting and registration of War Veterans and then disbursement of welfare schemes as stipulated in the Act.
  • In 1998 the Department was transferred to the Ministry of Defence and its offices were relocated to Liquenda House.
  • In 2015, the Department of War Veterans became the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, Ex-political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees under its first Minister Hon C. Mutsvangwa who was deputized by Hon Colonel (rtd) T. Dube. Its offices were then housed at Batanai Gardens in Harare.
  • In 2018, the Ministry was dissolved and the Department was reinstated under the Ministry of Defence which is now called the Ministry of Defence and War Veteran’s Affairs led by Hon Minister O. Muchinguri.
  • In 2020, the War Veterans Act (Chapter 11:15), the Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Act (Chapter 17:10) were repealed, and the Veterans of Liberation Struggle Act (17:12) was passed into law.