FORMER South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) and Koevoet soldiers are treated like aliens in their own country, DTA president Katuutire Kaura said on Wednesday.
Kaura said at a media briefing that the South African government paid over to the Namibian government N$36 million after independence in 1990, which was distributed to all combatants, including People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) soldiers, SWATF and Koevoet members.’Yet, only the Swapo war veterans are considered under the War Veterans’ (Act), while the SWATF and Koevoet soldiers are excluded,’ he said, calling it ‘shameful and a total miscarriage of justice’.For the 2012/2013 financial year, Parliament approved at least N$1,6 billion for war veterans, of which 70% is earmarked for payments to individual war veterans. To date, 27 000 individuals have been granted veteran’s status, and more than 5 000 dependents of deceased veterans were also recognised as such. The Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs received 43 590 applications for veteran’s status, which included more than 15 000 applications from young people born in exile during the liberation struggle.Meanwhile, Kaura called on the government to expropriate farms owned by foreigners and those who own excessive land, but to leave alone those who own only one farm.’The newly installed land tax is going to destroy the agricultural sector, which is very sensitive in the country, with cyclical droughts,’ he stated.Government recently announced plans to increase commercial agricultural land tax, as it looks for N$400 million in the next five years to buy more farms for its land reform programme. – Nampa
