Koevoet veteran status rejected

The parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs has concluded that former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers cannot be included in the Veterans Act of 2008.This was announced by committee chairperson Sebastian Karupu in parliament last week when he tabled the committee's report on a petition by the Namibia War Veterans Trust (Namvet). He said the committee recommended that SWATF and Koevoet soldiers must register for social grants, and at their local food banks, “like all citizens”. “Those who qualify for social grants should register for social grants with the relevant ministry and those suffering from war-related diseases should seek assistance from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. And if necessary, humanitarian assistance can be provided to those in need of it,” said Karupu.He said Namvet had questioned the legality of the Veterans Act and asked that it be amended to include all former fighters, regardless of which side they fought for.Namvet also petitioned for the remainder of the N$36 million paid over to the Namibian government by the former South African government to be paid out to them.The former fighters demanded equal treatment when it comes to veterans' pensions, healthcare, counselling services, education, training and skills development, said Karupu. He added that the committee was informed that 3 885 former SWATF and Koevoet members are amputees or suffer from other war wounds and illnesses. United People's Movement (UPM) member of parliament Jan van Wyk said he was one of the committee members who refused to sign the report because he believed that the Veterans Act was unconstitutional.“As a former soldier myself, I can testify that we were recruited by the then South African Defence Force under the Defence Act No 44 of 1957. We served under that legislation until demobilisation in 1989. “About 22 000 members were demobilised over a period of time and were left at the mercy of others, including the South African government,” Van Wyk said.“Information suggests that 30% of former SWATF members and 70% of former PLAN fighters were recruited into the Namibia Defence Force after independence. However, the very same information suggests that the NDF numbered 7 500 members at the end of 1991. “If this information is accurate it is clear that about 20 000 former SWATF members were left out of the reconciliation process.“It is further alleged that former SWAFT members who were recruited into the NDF were posted far from their families under difficult conditions, had to endure victimisation, discrimination and constructive dismissal. This might explain why many of them have decided to leave the NDF,” said Van Wyk. Mike Kavekotora of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) asked why some members of the committee distanced themselves from the report. “In fact, is in now clear that some, if not all, actually refused to sign this report. I would have done the same thing if I was a member of this committee. The chairperson needs to explain to this House why such a significant number of members refused to be associated with this report,” the RDP MP said.Kavekotora added that Namibia was not the only southern African country where citizens were fighting on opposing sides during a liberation war. He urged the committee to share with the National Assembly how other countries in the region dealt with similar challenges. “Is the committee suggesting to this August House that ex-SWATF and Koevoet soldiers are so uninformed that they don't know that one can get old-age pension money when reaching the age of 60? “Is the committee telling this House that they [the veterans] don't know that one goes to a hospital or a nearest clinic when one gets sick? “These recommendations are misplaced and highlight the lack of seriousness from those who associate themselves with this report. It shows how the members were hell-bent on ignoring the plight of these Namibians,” Kavekotora said. JEMIMA BEUKES

Koevoet veteran status rejected

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-30

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Koevoet veteran status rejected

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-30

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