Shaningwa tells struggle kids to bring original repatriation forms

WINDHOEK, 05 APR – Swapo Secretary-General (SG) Sophia Shaningwa informed children of the liberation she will only deal with those with original repatriation forms.
She said this whilst addressing a group of about 200 children of the liberation struggle, also known as “struggle kids”, camping on the outskirts of Windhoek.
Shaningwa told the group who marched to the party headquarters here on Wednesday, that she was unable to deal with all their issues at the present time as she was getting ready to travel.
However, in future, each and every child of the liberation struggle must first present their original repatriation form, she stated.
“I am not going to attend to any person who does not have an original repatriation form; a person’s ID (identity document) must correspond to the name that is in that repatriation form. That is all that I can say,” Shaningwa said.
The group informed her that they gave suggestions on how Government can assist them with jobs within relevant ministries, but that they have not received feedback.
Shaningwa told them she understands they want jobs and that they have been registered with various Government institutions and also, they have been responded to.
“If you have not been responded to, it is not because they do not want to respond to you but it is maybe because of jobs that are not available in those sectors where you have been registered,” the SG noted.
Shaningwa added that she is not promising them jobs, but only wants to make sure that this group and those elsewhere provide her with their original repatriation forms.
“Each and every person born in exile have their repatriation forms and I know for sure there are some people who were not born in exile, who are today claiming to have been born in exile. I will only deal with those who are telling the truth.”
She said there are children who were born in the country, who also suffered at the hands of the colonialists and were found to have contributed to the struggle.
“We all suffered in and out (of the country), and it is not only those who crossed the borders who fought for this country; it is all of us,” she said.
Speaking to Nampa, spokesperson of the children of the liberation struggle, Hendrick Gabriel said: “Yes, we have the repatriation forms and we can provide them, because we are the children of the liberation struggle”.
In January 2016, officials from the Swapo party dealing with the struggle kids camping on the outskirts of Windhoek, verified their documentation.
This was done in order to establish whether all of the 426 struggle kids at the camp at that time were indeed born in exile and whether any of their documents needed to be rectified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.

NAMPA