War veterans are not special: AR

WINDHOEK, 20 JUL  – Veterans of the liberation struggle should not receive preferential treatment in terms of benefiting from State resources as is the case now, which has set a dangerous precedent, according to the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement.
AR noted it appreciates the contribution of Namibia’s war veterans towards the attainment of the country’s political independence. However, their role in the liberation struggle should not automatically put them ahead of other Namibians in terms of benefiting of the country’s wealth.
Speaking in Windhoek on Thursday during the first of the two-day consultative meeting for Khomas in preparation of the second national conference, AR’s Dimbulukeni Nauyoma said “war veterans are not special”.
According to Nauyoma, the veterans risked their youth, lives and energy solely to liberate Namibia.
“There was no form that when you return, the perks will come for you. So, we are creating a dangerous culture that everything Namibia has must go to freedom fighters in the name of fighting for Namibia.”
Moreover, he was worried that talks in the run-up to the second national land conference set for October this year do not address challenges facing the youth in terms of land ownership.
“The element of young people benefiting from land, specifically the issue of urban land, we don’t speak about it and this is a dangerous precedence,” he said.
Nauyoma’s AR counterpart, Job Amupanda said not all war veterans should fall within the bracket of disadvantaged Namibians.
“Are we saying that President [Sam] Nujoma is disadvantaged? We are saying a veteran like Dr Kawana is disadvantaged? Conceptually, I have a problem with that,” said Amupanda, in reference to Government’s current definition of war veterans and their benefits.
“Veterans are our heroes, we are proud of them and they get N.dollars 3 000 every month. But for us to say they are disadvantaged under Resolution 14, it is a problem,” said Amupanda.
Making his contribution on behalf of war veterans at the meeting, Alex ‘Poison’ Kamwi of the Namibia National Veterans Association bemoaned their sidelining.
“You are talking about veterans and you are even deciding for us while we were not there. Who told you to decide for us? You did not even provide us with information for us to know what you said on our behalf,” he said in reference to the current criteria for potential beneficiaries of Government’s resettlement programme.
“Who are you to speak on our behalf by the way?” Kamwi asked vaguely to the land reform ministry.
He proposed that in future, it would be advisable for the ministry or any entity to engage the veterans before deciding on anything that affects them.
Kamwi was particularly irked by a resettlement condition which requires beneficiaries to have at least 150 large stock units.
The former combatant proposed that resettlement requirements be relaxed so as to benefit the majority of Namibians and not to marginalise them.
(NAMPA)