Ex-fighters refuse to vote

THE Committee on the Welfare of Ex-Combatants has vowed to refrain from voting in the next elections as ‘payback for Government’s failure to meet their demands.

A group of around 400 supporters met at the Greenwell Matongo Community Centre in Windhoek on Saturday to discuss the way forward. The group decided to give Government until the end of December to reply to their demands or face the threat of another demonstration, spokesperson Alex Kamwi told The Namibian yesterday, In June, following the delivery of a petition to Government, the group staged a week-long demonstration in front of the Ministry of Justice, which Police and Government finally managed to end with the help of an eviction order and a promise to the group to get back to them in due course.Last week, group co-ordinator Matheus Nangolo said they were getting tired of waiting, as Government had apparently failed to honour that promise.At this weekend’s meeting, supporters of the association were told that Government allegedly wants to break up the association and start its own.”They want to start their own association.Maybe they don’t want to work with us.But after we briefed them, the members decided that they would remain part of their own association.We won’t follow anyone else’s,” Kamwi said yesterday.Although the group did talk about plans for a second demonstration, Kamwi said they had not yet decided on a definite date.”We will give them (Government) until the end of December, thereafter we will decide,” he said.The association, he said, was currently registering members and had started collecting membership fees for an office it wants to establish.The association, under the leadership of Kamwi and Ruusa Malulu, has been demanding compensation for war veterans for the last few years, despite Government’s insistence that their demands are unrealistic.Their demands include a lump sum of N$500 000 per person, or N$32 000 per person multiplied by the number of years spent in exile.Government has stated on various occasions that submitting to these demands could cripple the economy.The group decided to give Government until the end of December to reply to their demands or face the threat of another demonstration, spokesperson Alex Kamwi told The Namibian yesterday, In June, following the delivery of a petition to Government, the group staged a week-long demonstration in front of the Ministry of Justice, which Police and Government finally managed to end with the help of an eviction order and a promise to the group to get back to them in due course.Last week, group co-ordinator Matheus Nangolo said they were getting tired of waiting, as Government had apparently failed to honour that promise.At this weekend’s meeting, supporters of the association were told that Government allegedly wants to break up the association and start its own.”They want to start their own association.Maybe they don’t want to work with us.But after we briefed them, the members decided that they would remain part of their own association.We won’t follow anyone else’s,” Kamwi said yesterday.Although the group did talk about plans for a second demonstration, Kamwi said they had not yet decided on a definite date.”We will give them (Government) until the end of December, thereafter we will decide,” he said.The association, he said, was currently registering members and had started collecting membership fees for an office it wants to establish.The association, under the leadership of Kamwi and Ruusa Malulu, has been demanding compensation for war veterans for the last few years, despite Government’s insistence that their demands are unrealistic.Their demands include a lump sum of N$500 000 per person, or N$32 000 per person multiplied by the number of years spent in exile.Government has stated on various occasions that submitting to these demands could cripple the economy.