Bomb blast survivors cry foul

Twenty-nine years after the Oshakati Barclays Bank bomb blast that killed 27 people, victims of the tragedy are still waiting for compensation from the government.

“Why do you remember the day and commemorate it if those who suffered as result of it are not looked after? It has been 29 years now and we haven't been compensated.”

These are the words of Asteria Shivute Ampweya, 53, one of the survivors of the 19 February 1988 bombing.

Ampweya has not attended the commemoration of the day for a number of years, as she feels bitter that the Namibian government has not shown any sign of caring for the survivors.

“I stopped attending the commemoration event or going to the mass grave because we just stand there and feel pain. We want to be compensated or else they should stop remembering us. It's very painful because our lives changed for the worse on that day and now we are suffering,” Ampweya said.

She said the bombing left many of them disabled, with chronic injuries and pain which required regular medical attention.

“When you look at my body (pointing to the burns on her hands and scars on her legs) the bombing left me with serious problems and injuries that prevent me from doing normal work like any other woman,” she said.

“With the expensive medication I have to take, my medical aid does cover all costs and I am forced to pay extra in cash which is not fair. Why remember us then if you don't want to recognise us,” she complained.

The explosion claimed 27 lives and injured more than 70 people and to date the bomber has not been identified.

Both the Swapo Party and the South African regime were blamed for the attack but no one claimed responsibility.

Ampweya was 24 years old at the time of the event and was only discharged from the hospital ten months later because of the severe injuries she sustained.

Talking about her chronic pain she explained that during the rainy season her movement and consequently her ability to work are limited.

“Like right now if it rains and I get into contact with the rain, my body reacts very badly and I can get very sick. I can't work during the rainy season,” Ampweya said.

Ampweya added that she was saddened by a remark made on a radio show which aired on Sunday morning, when one of the survivors who was being interviewed indicated that there was no need for compensation.

“The reason why that person said so on radio is because he was an employee of the bank at the time and escaped uninjured. Also, he was compensated for his involvement in the liberation struggle for fighting the enemy from within,” she said.

Human rights activist Phil Ya Nangoloh is one of those who argue that the Namibian government should compensate the survivors and the families of those who died.

Ya Nangoloh made reference to Article 140, Subsection 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Namibian Constitution, under the principle of state succession, which he said meant that the Namibian government was liable for paying compensation for even those war crimes committed by apartheid forces.



“Namrights believes that all the victims, regardless of who the perpetrators were during that war, are entitled to compensation by the Namibian state,” he said.



Vice-president Nickey Iyambo and others who spoke at Sunday's commemoration said the bombing victims had played a meaningful role in the liberation struggle. However, none of them elaborated as to what contribution they had made.

People who attended the event had mixed feelings about whether the victims had contributed towards the liberation struggle or whether it was just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.



Mass grave

The state of the mass grave at the Elcin cemetery at Ongwediva, where 17 of the bombing victims were buried, was another concern raised by the survivors.

The grave has been in a dilapidated state for years now and the lack of maintenance is obvious.

It was erected by the families of the victims and community members who raised funds, but the issue of who should maintain it has never been addressed. Some, such as Ya Nangoloh and Ampweya, claim it is the government's responsibility.

Namibian Sun was informed that Swapo's regional coordinator in the Oshana Region and the regional governor are looking into the matter.



KENYA KAMBOWE