‘Dos Santos gave diamond-rich area to ex-NDF chief’

This was for his bravery in the struggle for independence, Haulyondjaba says.

Hamaambo served as founding chief of defence in the NDF from 1990 to 2000.

He died in September 2002 at the age of 69.

Haulyodjaba claims when Hamaambo retired in November 2000, Dos Santos invited him to Angola and told him he wanted to give him a special honour – something Dos Santos allegedly used to bestow on retired Angolan army generals.

When Hamaambo met up with Dos Santos, Dos Santos allegedly asked him to choose between land for agriculture, a stake in fisheries, or a mining area for diamonds, Haulyodjaba claims.

He also claims to be one of Hamaambo”;s close friends.

He says a few days before Hamaambo died, he wanted to take him [Haulyodjaba] and former Ondangwa mayor Otto Mwandingi Kapia to the involved area in the Cunene province, in southern Angola.

“Maybe some people heard about it. We were only informed that Dimo died a natural death,” Haulyondjaba says.

“He gave him a mining area. Dimo told me that it was a diamond area. He told me that Dos Santos also gave him a cheque book to use when buying oil in Angola,” he says.

According to Haulyondjaba, Dos Santos, who died on 8 July in Spain, honoured Hamaambo in a way the Namibian government did not.

“He could not start mining as he had died, but Dimo told me he had acquired investors,” Haulyodjaba says.

“After his death, Swapo asked Dos Santos to donate the place to the party but Dos Santos refused to give it to Swapo. He said the place was given to an individual not to Swapo,” Haulyondjaba said.

He says the donation should now be extended to Hamaambo”;s 11 children, whom he said are not properly taken care of.

Hamaambo”;s daughter Christine said the family has heard of the diamond mine given to Hamaambo by the late Dos Santos.

“We have heard about it, but we have actually never enquired . . . of late we have been trying to get hold of the late president to try to get a meeting, but it didn”;t surface,” she said.

“We were told to look into Kundi Paihama. We don”;t know where we can actually start with the research. Tate Haulyodjaba has been giving us information and saying we need to get hold of the governor as well so he can head it for us so we can get some answers,” she said.

Haulyondjaba, who was also a senior Plan commander, said the late Dos Santos did a lot for Namibia when other countries did not want to.

“Some countries denied us. They even closed their borders for us. Dos Santos was put under pressure by his government in 1982 to have Namibian fighters and refugees removed from that country.

“We were to be sent to Nampundu on the eastern borders of Zambia and Tanzania. He stood by us,” he said.

Haulyondjaba said Dos Santos, who ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years, did not talk too much.

Questions sent to the Angolan embassy in Windhoek on Tuesday and yesterday were not responded to at the time of going to print.

Several phone calls to both Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa and party spokesperson Hilma Nicanor went unanswered.

Text messages sent to Nicanor were also not responded to at the time of going to print.

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