‘Child soldier’ fights for veteran status

A 41-YEAR-OLD man from Oukwandongo village in the Omusati region is accusing the veterans’ office of refusing to recognise him as a war veteran.

Nestory Kashinghola says he and other children from Oukwandongo Primary School were abducted by Plan fighters in August 1987.

The abduction allegedly took place while they were on their way home from school.

Kashingola says he was eight years old at the time.

He says on the afternoon of the incident Swapo bandits gathered the children and ordered them not to move.

“We walked from Oukwandongo to Xangongo from where we were transported to Lubango,” he says.

He claims they spent a few months at Lubango before they were taken to Kwanza Sul, where Kashingola and other children attended school.

They were then transferred to Nyango in Zambia where they continued with their primary education, he says.

In 1990, Kashinghola says, he was repatriated to Namibia and taken back to Oukwandongo.

He then continued his schooling there, he says.

Kashingola says he now struggles to pay for his studies.

He claims he dropped out of the Namibia University of Science and Technology because he cannot afford the required fees.

Kashinghola is currently registered with Southern Business School, but his money woes continue, since he not only pays his own tuition fees, but that of his children too, he says.

“The veteran’s office cannot take me, since their criteria state to qualify you must be a recognised veteran dependant – either through your father or mother. Neither my parents are registered as war veterans,” he says.

Kashingola says when he returned from exile, he was given a panga, a matrass and a pot as a token of appreciation.

“What was their aim to take me into exile? Because when I returned, I was not recognised. If it was for education purposes, why did Swapo not continue paying for my studies? I think Swapo needs to look at my complaints. I need to study and get some recognition,” he says.

Trephine Kamati, executive director of defence and veteran affairs, says she cannot comment on the matter as she is not aware of the incident.

“They must write us a letter and tell us what happened so we can respond to them,” she says.

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