Ex-Koevoet, SWAFT knocking on doors of Namibian House
The former combatants say when Resolution 435 was passed, the new Namibian government assured them that they would all live in harmony, but they now feel like foreigners in an independent Namibia.
ESTER KAMATI
WINDHOEK
Ex leaders of Koevoet and South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) say they have been left out in the cold and feel like foreigners in the Namibian house.
This after fruitless attempts to obtain veteran status as well as battles for government to pay them their share of N$36 million given to them by the South African government in 1992.
The group of 123 mainly Ovahimba individuals residing in tents at the Katutura Youth Complex say they are being treated like outcasts and have been left to die of hunger.
The group – some of them now old and grey between the ages of 87 and 97 - had been living at the Kommando Hall in Katutura in Windhoek for about eight years before being relocated to the youth centre.
They shared that they survive off donations from Good Samaritans as they continue to query about the millions allegedly owed to them by government, but to no avail.
“We are willing to die for our money,” Israel Katjaimo, the leader of the group, said, adding that government has not given them any satisfactory feedback.
He said the ex-soldiers, their wives and children are destitute.
“It’s better to die in this country instead of suffering like this.”
Feel like foreigners
Another former fighter Simeon Haukambe said that when Resolution 435 was passed, the new Namibian government assured them that they would all live in harmony as brothers and sisters, but now in an independent Namibia, they feel like foreigners.
“The government said they will treat us the same, brothers and sisters, and now we heard that the other brother[s] who were outside [veterans], they got their money.”
They expressed disappointment, saying that the recognised soldiers and war veterans have enjoyed funding for projects and lump sums of money while they are left to starve.
“We request our money so that we can leave this place and go back to our villages where we come from.
“The church leaders, they hear about us but where are you today? Why are you quiet? We are now everyone’s enemy. Even the Boer who took us out of school to go and join the army, as they see us here, they say [we are] dogs,” Haukambe fumed, adding that “those who put us in the army, they are free”.
The N$36 million meant to be shared between the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) fighters and the SWAFT and Koevoet leaders was allegedly channelled to Namibia by the South African government.
“We demand the government to give back our money. There is also N$4.5 billion from Sanlam because Sanlam was supposed to give this money to us,” Haukambe claimed.
“Up to now, that money is not in our pockets; it is still in government’s pockets.”
‘We will fight’
“We’ll fight for our money. We will fight for our right,” the former fighters said.
Meanwhile, Katjaimo urged opposition political parties to highlight their concerns and suffering in Parliament.
“We are not going back before we get our money in this country. We are here to die if they want.”
In a letter dated March 2021, Prime Minster Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the Namibian government has no knowledge of the ex-soldiers’ funds, stating that the money had not been paid to government but was administered by the Administrator-General under then Apartheid South Africa, and was processed by Standard Bank.
“Since the government of Namibia has never received such money or been involved in the payment of such money, it is not in a position to handle any queries related thereto. Therefore, I am in no position to assist you,” she wrote.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Ex leaders of Koevoet and South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) say they have been left out in the cold and feel like foreigners in the Namibian house.
This after fruitless attempts to obtain veteran status as well as battles for government to pay them their share of N$36 million given to them by the South African government in 1992.
The group of 123 mainly Ovahimba individuals residing in tents at the Katutura Youth Complex say they are being treated like outcasts and have been left to die of hunger.
The group – some of them now old and grey between the ages of 87 and 97 - had been living at the Kommando Hall in Katutura in Windhoek for about eight years before being relocated to the youth centre.
They shared that they survive off donations from Good Samaritans as they continue to query about the millions allegedly owed to them by government, but to no avail.
“We are willing to die for our money,” Israel Katjaimo, the leader of the group, said, adding that government has not given them any satisfactory feedback.
He said the ex-soldiers, their wives and children are destitute.
“It’s better to die in this country instead of suffering like this.”
Feel like foreigners
Another former fighter Simeon Haukambe said that when Resolution 435 was passed, the new Namibian government assured them that they would all live in harmony as brothers and sisters, but now in an independent Namibia, they feel like foreigners.
“The government said they will treat us the same, brothers and sisters, and now we heard that the other brother[s] who were outside [veterans], they got their money.”
They expressed disappointment, saying that the recognised soldiers and war veterans have enjoyed funding for projects and lump sums of money while they are left to starve.
“We request our money so that we can leave this place and go back to our villages where we come from.
“The church leaders, they hear about us but where are you today? Why are you quiet? We are now everyone’s enemy. Even the Boer who took us out of school to go and join the army, as they see us here, they say [we are] dogs,” Haukambe fumed, adding that “those who put us in the army, they are free”.
The N$36 million meant to be shared between the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) fighters and the SWAFT and Koevoet leaders was allegedly channelled to Namibia by the South African government.
“We demand the government to give back our money. There is also N$4.5 billion from Sanlam because Sanlam was supposed to give this money to us,” Haukambe claimed.
“Up to now, that money is not in our pockets; it is still in government’s pockets.”
‘We will fight’
“We’ll fight for our money. We will fight for our right,” the former fighters said.
Meanwhile, Katjaimo urged opposition political parties to highlight their concerns and suffering in Parliament.
“We are not going back before we get our money in this country. We are here to die if they want.”
In a letter dated March 2021, Prime Minster Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the Namibian government has no knowledge of the ex-soldiers’ funds, stating that the money had not been paid to government but was administered by the Administrator-General under then Apartheid South Africa, and was processed by Standard Bank.
“Since the government of Namibia has never received such money or been involved in the payment of such money, it is not in a position to handle any queries related thereto. Therefore, I am in no position to assist you,” she wrote.
[email protected]
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