Deserters Can Be Veterans

I WOULD like to comment on the definition of ‘veteran’ as classified by the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, on November 2 2007 at Rundu in Kavango Region.

He stated a veteran is a person who was consistently and persistently fighting for the liberation struggle. And those who were assisting the Plan fighters inside the country.It is good to consider those who were inside the country.The Minister said that deserters are excluded in this exercise because they are cowards and, therefore, they will not benefit from the fund.A cowardly person will not be considered even if he or she was in exile.And the Minister went on to say that the deserters were doing nothing while they were in exile they were just walking around the world.And the Minister left many questions unanswered due to limited time.My question is what would happen if the Minister’s son or daughter is among the cowards? To whom does national reconciliation apply and why not all? We are opposed to economic sanctions against Zimbabwe so why are imposing sanction against our own brothers and sisters because they are cowards? What is the meaning of national reconciliation, we have (AU) how can we unite the continent before we can unite the country.Two months ago the honourable Minister of Lands and Resettlement, was talking about reconciliation in parliament that we are buying our own land because of reconciliation.Does it mean that we only remember national reconciliation when the situation is against us? The land issue is not based on national reconciliation, if so, we could reconcile with our own brothers and sisters first.How can we create a Ministry which excludes some of our brothers and sisters who were in exile? According to my research, I found out that one of the deserters came back with only one testicle.He lost one of his testicles during a former South African defence force bomb attack.He came back with one testicle or half castrated which means deserters were also enemies of the former South Africa Government.Some were killed.He passed away in 1993 but some victims are still alive.P K Mangundu RunduAnd those who were assisting the Plan fighters inside the country.It is good to consider those who were inside the country.The Minister said that deserters are excluded in this exercise because they are cowards and, therefore, they will not benefit from the fund.A cowardly person will not be considered even if he or she was in exile.And the Minister went on to say that the deserters were doing nothing while they were in exile they were just walking around the world.And the Minister left many questions unanswered due to limited time.My question is what would happen if the Minister’s son or daughter is among the cowards? To whom does national reconciliation apply and why not all? We are opposed to economic sanctions against Zimbabwe so why are imposing sanction against our own brothers and sisters because they are cowards? What is the meaning of national reconciliation, we have (AU) how can we unite the continent before we can unite the country.Two months ago the honourable Minister of Lands and Resettlement, was talking about reconciliation in parliament that we are buying our own land because of reconciliation.Does it mean that we only remember national reconciliation when the situation is against us? The land issue is not based on national reconciliation, if so, we could reconcile with our own brothers and sisters first.How can we create a Ministry which excludes some of our brothers and sisters who were in exile? According to my research, I found out that one of the deserters came back with only one testicle.He lost one of his testicles during a former South African defence force bomb attack.He came back with one testicle or half castrated which means deserters were also enemies of the former South Africa Government.Some were killed.He passed away in 1993 but some victims are still alive.P K Mangundu Rundu