It was a peaceful protest - struggle kids

In a move that could have ended catastrophically, the so-called struggle kids are accused of setting bushes surrounding their Brakwater camp alight after infuriating motorists by protesting in the middle of the B1 road at Brakwater yesterday morning. A stand-off with the police ensued with at least two police vehicles damaged, while the struggle kids accused the police of turning their peaceful protest into chaos. Police said they were forced to use teargas to disperse the angry struggle kids who had refused to allow motorists, who were on their way to work in Windhoek and Okahandja, to pass.While no arrests were made, the police yesterday lashed out the struggle kids, saying the group will no longer be tolerated. Police spokesperson Slogan Mathues said the police were still assessing the extent of the damage to police property, and that charges may be laid.The struggle kids denied police allegations that the group had burned bushes around their camp, insisting that they staged a peaceful protest until the police came. Angry at SimataaSpeaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, the struggle kids said their “peaceful protest” was because they were angered by Cabinet Secretary George Simataa. They allege that Simataa addressed them on Friday and told them to “go to school” and had refused media coverage for the address. “Why is he telling us to go to school and if he was here on behalf of government, why is he hiding from the media,” one of the struggle kids said. On allegations that the struggle set bushes around their Brakwater camp alight, the struggle kids accused the police of starting fires around their camp. “The police shot at the bushes and when the bullets hit them it caught fire,” the struggle kids said. One of the struggle kids, Jerry Hamukwaya, claimed that the police beat up three struggle kids, two women and a man, and that the man had to seek medical treatment. Swapo secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba said he did not understand why yesterday’s incident happened, seeing that the government had shown commitment to address the issue of the struggle kids. “The Office of the Prime Minister is assisting them and even yesterday, Minister of Presidential Affairs Frans Kapofi went to address them. Some of them have already been moved and provided with training opportunities. They should understand this and follow government programmes,” Mbumba said. Asked about the fact that the group was angered by recent remarks that they should get educated, with the group saying some of them are too old to go to school and want jobs, Mbumba said no one is too old to get educated. “Swapo does not have the companies, the government ministries, all the ministries belong to government and to all the people of Namibia. It is government which wants to put them at places where they can be trained, they can have accommodation, and they can even have food and some allowances,” Mbumba said. Waving Swapo flags, the struggle kids were said to have been singing and chanting in the middle of the road. Police said that for a stretch of about 600 metres, the road was covered with stones, poles, road signs and tents erected on the road. “The children of the liberation struggle were throwing stones and bottles at passing motorists,” the police said. A Windhoek motorist who works in Okahandja confirmed that the group threatened to hurl stones at motorists who attempted to drive around them.GORDON JOSEPH

It was a peaceful protest - struggle kids

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-09

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It was a peaceful protest - struggle kids

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-09

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