‘Accommodate all war vets’

GOVERNMENT must seriously consider including former members of the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) in the activities of the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, several members of the opposition said on Tuesday.

President Hifikepunye Pohamba created the Ministry in October last year and the National Assembly on Tuesday approved its first budget allocation – N$22,98 million for Veterans’ Affairs. The DTA’s McHenry Venaani said Pohamba had done the “most honourable thing” by creating a ministry to address the concerns of war veterans but, in the name of national reconciliation, it would be much better to address the plight of former SWATF soldiers through the same offices.Venaani had barely elaborated on his point when Uutoni Nujoma, Deputy Minister of Justice, jumped up “on a point of order”.”Why should we compensate people who were killing us?” Nujoma asked.He was followed by Nora Schimming-Chase of the Congress of Democrats, who asked Venaani whether he was aware that when South Africa paid out N$36 million in compensation for former SWATF members, the money was shared equally among SWATF and former People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan) members.Venaani called for a consistent approach when dealing with those who were involved in the fighting before Independence.”You cannot recruit them in your army but you exclude them from the activities of the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs,” he lamented.He was supported by Tsudao Gurirab of the CoD, who said Government was creating different classes of Namibians by excluding former SWATF soldiers.”We should rise above that,” he said.United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Justus //Garoeb called on Government to include veterans of the Second World War, while Swapo’s Peya Mushelenga pleaded that some individuals who had played a role inside Namibia, “like Dr (Thomas) Ihuhua who was banned from travelling to the North”, also be recognised as veterans.Arnold Tjihuiko of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) said the descendants of those who died in the war, such as the Hereros living at Gam and the Eiseb Block, also needed equal treatment.”These people have no identity at the moment.Even refugees at Osire have IDs,” Tjihuiko said.He argued that white former commanders in the SWATF had been taken up in the Namibian army but that blacks had been treated differently.The Ministry’s budget was approved without any objections.The DTA’s McHenry Venaani said Pohamba had done the “most honourable thing” by creating a ministry to address the concerns of war veterans but, in the name of national reconciliation, it would be much better to address the plight of former SWATF soldiers through the same offices.Venaani had barely elaborated on his point when Uutoni Nujoma, Deputy Minister of Justice, jumped up “on a point of order”.”Why should we compensate people who were killing us?” Nujoma asked.He was followed by Nora Schimming-Chase of the Congress of Democrats, who asked Venaani whether he was aware that when South Africa paid out N$36 million in compensation for former SWATF members, the money was shared equally among SWATF and former People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan) members.Venaani called for a consistent approach when dealing with those who were involved in the fighting before Independence.”You cannot recruit them in your army but you exclude them from the activities of the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs,” he lamented.He was supported by Tsudao Gurirab of the CoD, who said Government was creating different classes of Namibians by excluding former SWATF soldiers.”We should rise above that,” he said.United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Justus //Garoeb called on Government to include veterans of the Second World War, while Swapo’s Peya Mushelenga pleaded that some individuals who had played a role inside Namibia, “like Dr (Thomas) Ihuhua who was banned from travelling to the North”, also be recognised as veterans.Arnold Tjihuiko of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) said the descendants of those who died in the war, such as the Hereros living at Gam and the Eiseb Block, also needed equal treatment.”These people have no identity at the moment.Even refugees at Osire have IDs,” Tjihuiko said.He argued that white former commanders in the SWATF had been taken up in the Namibian army but that blacks had been treated differently.The Ministry’s budget was approved without any objections.