Govt ‘wash hands’ over expelled Swapo children

By: ABSALOM SHIGWEDHA

A GROUP of sixty ‘children of the liberation struggle’ who were thrown out of the Ministry of Youth’s training camp at Berg Aukas last month for misbehaviour are totally out of Government’s employment scheme.

This was said by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Peingeondjabi Shipoh.  He told The Namibian that Government has ‘washed its hands’ on these youth.

“They are totally off. Where they are now, they are not under our care,” said Shipoh. 

He said this was a Cabinet decision, adding that these young people were told to behave properly, “and they did not want to do so.” 

Shipoh explained that some of the areas in which Government is trying to secure jobs for the unemployed youth, are defence and the police, which need very disciplined people.

“NDF and Police need disciplined people as they will be handling guns. How will they handle them if they are not disciplined,” Shipoh asked. He added that these youth have themselves to blame. Government tried its best to secure them employment.

Sixty of the 321 ‘children of the liberation struggle’, currently at the Ministry of Youth’s  camp at Berg Aukas, were expelled and dropped at a flood relocation centre at Ekuku village north of Oshakati.

This was done because they took part in a march to Ondangwa and Windhoek, pressurising Government to give them jobs.

The punished youth reacted with anger saying that they have stayed at Berg Aukas for too long without being employed.

According to Tomas Mahoka, one of the expelled young people, about 472 ‘children of the liberation struggle’  were taken to Berg Aukas towards the end of last year but only 17 were employed in NamPol while the NDF took about 128.

He told The Namibian yesterday that what made them angry is that some of these people were not on the list but managed to be employed, adding that it was clear there is corruption in the recruitment process.

absalom@namibian.com.na

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