Do Not Ignore ‘Struggle Kids’
AS A Swapo Party loyal member and a ‘war veteran cadre’, I am very much disturbed and disappointed by the fact that the Swapo-led government and the party itself are ignoring the ‘struggle children’s’ cries.
My one question is, “Are we not aware that there are ‘kids’ born in exile during the liberation struggle who were left in the care of others called ‘mothers’? Parents went back to the battlefront, died during the war and some were sent to school, while their children were left behind at Dalatando, Kwanza-Sul, Lubango and Nyango in Zambia. And when we returned home to Namibia, these children came home, some without their parents who had died and no other relatives are known to them. As a result some were left at the repatriation centres that were prepared for returnees because nobody picked them up. Some went with their parents who later died and left their children behind and were turned into slavery by their relatives, some do not know their biological parents and these are the ‘kids’ who are pleading with you. What a pity.
Do you remember that the ‘kids’ from Germany, Czech Republic, Cuba and Laudima (Congo) had schools arranged for them but not the ‘kids’ from Angola and Nyango, Zambia?
It means these ‘kids’ were left to themselves to sort out their education and livelihoods. Who is to be blamed for this matter? The ‘kids’ are desperate and they have suffered enough during the liberation struggle.
Some leaders well known to me are saying they have achieved what they were fighting for. Mark my word; no peace shall be forever if you don’t integrate these ‘kids’ properly into society.
To the Minister of Veterans Affairs, why can’t you establish a directorate of the ‘liberation struggle kids’ within the Ministry? These were the children born during the struggle and some of their parents have ‘watered’ our freedom!
You built a school in Lubango, why can’t you build a vocational school for the ‘struggle kids’ and have social workers counsel them?
The ANC in South Africa, the ruling parties in Mozambique and other countries like Zimbabwe also have ‘kids’ born in exile. Do they also have the same problems? Why can’t we learn from them?
We must remember that the world is watching us closely including those who want to see us fail. They are not happy with our freedom and they may use our weakness against us. In about 10 days we celebrate our hard won 23rd independence anniversary and most of us start counting our blessings. What about these ‘kids’? What do they count? Misery? Are we not betraying the fallen comrades whose blood has watered our freedom and who are also some of these ‘children’s’ parents?
A War veteran
Lüderitz