Construction yet to start on Outapi outdoor museum
27 December 2017 | History
No construction work has commenced yet for the much-anticipated Outapi outdoor museum in Omusati Region which was announced to the public about a year and a half ago.
In June 2016, the deputy minister of veterans' affairs, Hilma Nicanor, announced during an event at Outapi that the ministry planned to construct a museum at Outapi to depict the liberation struggle.
The event was held metres from the site where 27 Swapo Party Plan combatants who were killed on 1 April 1989 by the South West African Territory Force (SWATF) were buried.
When Namibian Sun visited the site recently there was no sign of any construction taking place as the site has only been fenced off.
The grave has not been taken care of, compared to how it looked when the groundbreaking ceremony was held over a year ago.
When contacted for comment regarding the progress of the project, the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs permanent secretary, Hopelong Ipinge, said there was no date set for the project to resume and that construction would only commence when funds were available.
“Next is the construction. Now it just depends if the money will be available, if there is no money there is no construction,” Ipinge said.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Nicanor was quoted as saying that there was a need for the history of the liberation struggle to be told in order for Namibians to reflect on the sufferings of the many heroes and heroines who died for the country.
“There is very little literature that gives the actual picture of the war of the liberation struggle, through which Namibians can reflect and assert their suffering and heroic deeds.
“In fact, most history about Namibia under colonialism and apartheid is incorrect and written by others,” Nicanor said.
She said the poor documentation of Namibia's history was an issue of grave concern and therefore it was the mandate of the ministry to preserve the history of Namibia's liberation struggle.
KENYA KAMBOWE
In June 2016, the deputy minister of veterans' affairs, Hilma Nicanor, announced during an event at Outapi that the ministry planned to construct a museum at Outapi to depict the liberation struggle.
The event was held metres from the site where 27 Swapo Party Plan combatants who were killed on 1 April 1989 by the South West African Territory Force (SWATF) were buried.
When Namibian Sun visited the site recently there was no sign of any construction taking place as the site has only been fenced off.
The grave has not been taken care of, compared to how it looked when the groundbreaking ceremony was held over a year ago.
When contacted for comment regarding the progress of the project, the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs permanent secretary, Hopelong Ipinge, said there was no date set for the project to resume and that construction would only commence when funds were available.
“Next is the construction. Now it just depends if the money will be available, if there is no money there is no construction,” Ipinge said.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Nicanor was quoted as saying that there was a need for the history of the liberation struggle to be told in order for Namibians to reflect on the sufferings of the many heroes and heroines who died for the country.
“There is very little literature that gives the actual picture of the war of the liberation struggle, through which Namibians can reflect and assert their suffering and heroic deeds.
“In fact, most history about Namibia under colonialism and apartheid is incorrect and written by others,” Nicanor said.
She said the poor documentation of Namibia's history was an issue of grave concern and therefore it was the mandate of the ministry to preserve the history of Namibia's liberation struggle.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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