Namvet denies reports of breakaway
The former soldiers say they were forced to form a pressure group to fight injustice.
The leader of the Namibia War Veterans Trust (Namvet), Jabulani Ndeunyema, has vehemently denied reports of a breakaway group and also denied that this group has threatened violence.
Ndeunyema said at a media briefing this week that the group called the Namvet Liberation Movement is a “pressure group” to ensure the safety of members of Namvet continuing their sit-in to demand war veteran status.
Ndeunyema said it was falsely reported in the media last week that a group of 34 former SWATF and Koevoet members had broken away and threatened to “spill blood” if their demands were not met.
He said he and Israel Katjaimo, another founding member of Namvet, formed the Namvet Liberation Movement to act as “bodyguards” to “protect” Namvet members from “cockroaches and predators”.
“I, Katjaimo and others deal with Swapo politicians. Where a Swapo politician goes, is where these other cockroaches [go]. They [the group] will stop the cockroaches from entering meetings with Nickey Iyambo and President Hage [Geingob],” said Ndeunyema.
He said the group consisted of 500 “energetic former soldiers and their children” to effectively act as bouncers who should “try by all means to use everything in their possession to destroy injustice in this country”.
“Namvet is an extremely large organisation. You can compare Namvet with Swapo. Eighty-nine percent of former SWATF and Koevoet and their children are members of this organisation,” he said.
Ndeunyema reiterated that this group never threatened violence. According to him, the commander of the group, Utjiravi Muheue, merely said that members of the group were “ready to be killed by Swapo so that Swapo can smell blood because it has been […] drinking people's blood during the liberation struggle”.
He denied that it was a paramilitary group and stressed that it did not have access to weapons.
“Weapons are like sand in Africa. They do not have weapons; they are fighting with their mouths now but if things go the other way they can quickly go and get something to protect us,” Ndeunyema said.
He added: “Do not miscalculate this group. This group has massive support from massive operation in the country.”
Ndeunyema said police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga did not verify any of the alleged threats made by the group before he commented that they were tantamount to treason.
The allegedly false media reports of the breakaway group have caused a storm on social media platforms.
Ndeunyema said born-frees have misused such platforms to “insult” the former SWATF and Koevoet and the traditions of the OvaHerero, presumably because the majority of those participating in the sit-in at Commando Hall in Katutura are Ovaherero.
He said of particular concern was the “tone and language” used on NBC Oshiwambo and Otjiherero radio phone-in programmes regarding the former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers, which he said could ignite “civil unrest” between the two language groups.
Don't blame one side
Ndeunyema went on to say that SWATF and Koevoet on the one hand, and Swapo on the other, were both responsible for atrocities and human rights abuses and that the policy of national reconciliation should have made it possible for both sides to unite as one nation.
He said while thousands in northern Namibia were haunted by images of Casspirs hunting them down, so were many others in the rest of the country haunted by images of what had happened to them in the Lubango dungeons.
Want economic inclusion
Ndeunyema said if the government cannot assist the former soldiers with money because of the current cash crunch it should provide them with the material means to start food production projects.
“Namibia's GDP [Gross Domestic Product] can accommodate every Namibian if we are [to be] taken well care of. Namibian fish alone can sustain the whole nation if corruption is rooted out,” Ndeunyema said.
He added: “It is essential that the government of Namibia include former SWATF and Koevoet in the mainstream of the economy so that they can go on with their lives.”
Namvet intends to make an announcement within two weeks of a planned “very large march” of more than 10 000 former SWATF and Koevoet members, their families and landless and unemployed people to register their disgruntlement with the government.
“The behaviour of the Swapo government, the police and of Namibians will determine the peacefulness of that march,” Ndeunyema said.
CATHERINE SASMAN
Ndeunyema said at a media briefing this week that the group called the Namvet Liberation Movement is a “pressure group” to ensure the safety of members of Namvet continuing their sit-in to demand war veteran status.
Ndeunyema said it was falsely reported in the media last week that a group of 34 former SWATF and Koevoet members had broken away and threatened to “spill blood” if their demands were not met.
He said he and Israel Katjaimo, another founding member of Namvet, formed the Namvet Liberation Movement to act as “bodyguards” to “protect” Namvet members from “cockroaches and predators”.
“I, Katjaimo and others deal with Swapo politicians. Where a Swapo politician goes, is where these other cockroaches [go]. They [the group] will stop the cockroaches from entering meetings with Nickey Iyambo and President Hage [Geingob],” said Ndeunyema.
He said the group consisted of 500 “energetic former soldiers and their children” to effectively act as bouncers who should “try by all means to use everything in their possession to destroy injustice in this country”.
“Namvet is an extremely large organisation. You can compare Namvet with Swapo. Eighty-nine percent of former SWATF and Koevoet and their children are members of this organisation,” he said.
Ndeunyema reiterated that this group never threatened violence. According to him, the commander of the group, Utjiravi Muheue, merely said that members of the group were “ready to be killed by Swapo so that Swapo can smell blood because it has been […] drinking people's blood during the liberation struggle”.
He denied that it was a paramilitary group and stressed that it did not have access to weapons.
“Weapons are like sand in Africa. They do not have weapons; they are fighting with their mouths now but if things go the other way they can quickly go and get something to protect us,” Ndeunyema said.
He added: “Do not miscalculate this group. This group has massive support from massive operation in the country.”
Ndeunyema said police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga did not verify any of the alleged threats made by the group before he commented that they were tantamount to treason.
The allegedly false media reports of the breakaway group have caused a storm on social media platforms.
Ndeunyema said born-frees have misused such platforms to “insult” the former SWATF and Koevoet and the traditions of the OvaHerero, presumably because the majority of those participating in the sit-in at Commando Hall in Katutura are Ovaherero.
He said of particular concern was the “tone and language” used on NBC Oshiwambo and Otjiherero radio phone-in programmes regarding the former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers, which he said could ignite “civil unrest” between the two language groups.
Don't blame one side
Ndeunyema went on to say that SWATF and Koevoet on the one hand, and Swapo on the other, were both responsible for atrocities and human rights abuses and that the policy of national reconciliation should have made it possible for both sides to unite as one nation.
He said while thousands in northern Namibia were haunted by images of Casspirs hunting them down, so were many others in the rest of the country haunted by images of what had happened to them in the Lubango dungeons.
Want economic inclusion
Ndeunyema said if the government cannot assist the former soldiers with money because of the current cash crunch it should provide them with the material means to start food production projects.
“Namibia's GDP [Gross Domestic Product] can accommodate every Namibian if we are [to be] taken well care of. Namibian fish alone can sustain the whole nation if corruption is rooted out,” Ndeunyema said.
He added: “It is essential that the government of Namibia include former SWATF and Koevoet in the mainstream of the economy so that they can go on with their lives.”
Namvet intends to make an announcement within two weeks of a planned “very large march” of more than 10 000 former SWATF and Koevoet members, their families and landless and unemployed people to register their disgruntlement with the government.
“The behaviour of the Swapo government, the police and of Namibians will determine the peacefulness of that march,” Ndeunyema said.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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