N$8 million plan for Plan

GOVERNMENT is to invest more than N$8 million in a housing plan to benefit needy ex-combatants and “internally brutalised people”.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting on August 15, eleven days after President Hifikepunye requested the nation to be patient while Government worked on a solution to help alleviate the plight of the former Plan soldiers. The plan was announced in Windhoek yesterday by Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.She emphasised that it formed part of ongoing initiatives by Government to care for former combatants.”Most of the war veterans and former Robben Island prisoners interviewed live in deplorable housing conditions and ailing health due to age advancement.Many of them lack adequate and proper care from family members and are thus unable to sustain themselves, hence Cabinet’s decision for their needs to get urgent attention,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.The Minister emphasised that Government had been working on meeting war veterans’ needs since Independence.”We cannot have anybody hijack this programme and sow confusion among the people – some might be opportunistic,” the Minister replied when asked about the demands of a recently formed Committee on the Welfare of Ex-Combatants, chaired by Ruusa Malulu.In terms of the housing initiative, it was revealed yesterday that 48 former Robben Island prisoners, war veterans of the Peoples’ Liberation Army of Namibian (Plan) and “internally brutalised people” would benefit from the construction of 45 new houses and the extension of two existing houses.Cabinet has approved N$5,8 million for this purpose.It has also directed the Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity Provision to allocate N$1,5 million to equip the houses with solar-power systems and plastic water catchment tanks The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has to start immediately with the construction of the 45 houses and the extension of two existing houses.The 45 two- and three-bedroom houses will be built in the Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Okavango, Kunene, Caprivi, Khomas, Karas and Otjozondjupa regions.”For the next five years, N$2 million will be made available annually from the Social Housing Programme of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development to gradually construct more houses for Plan war veterans who qualify and for “internally brutalised” people in accordance with Cabinet’s instruction,” Nandi-Ndaitwah added.Those “internally brutalised” under apartheid rule within Namibia need not necessarily belong to Swapo or to any political party, the Minister said, but she did not make the list of names available.”Because no records exist of “internally brutalised” persons, Regional Governors were asked to identify up to 10 beneficiaries in this category to be interviewed by the Technical Committee,” the Minister told reporters at a media briefing.The Technical Committee, appointed to investigate the housing needs of former Robben Island prisoners, Plan war veterans and the “internally brutalised”, interviewed a total of 191 war veterans, 23 former Robben Island prisoners and 105 “internally brutalised” persons in all 13 regions.The Technical Committee is chaired by Erastus Negonga, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government.He co-opted officials from the Ministries of Defence, Labour and Social Welfare, Lands and Resettlement, the National Planning Commission and the Social Integration Programme for Ex-Combatants (SIPE) to assist the Committee.”The Committee started its work in 2003 already under Minister Joel Kapaanda,” Negonga, who was also present at the briefing, said.The cut-off age for the war veterans to benefit from the housing scheme was 60 years and above.They must have joined Swapo during or before 1975 and should not have been employed after Independence.Beneficiaries must be homeless or without reasonable housing.During the investigations in February and March this year, the Technical Committee established that a number of war veterans who qualify for the monthly social grant of N$500 were not receiving it.This situation was addressed and eligible war veterans were processed to receive social grants.WAR VETERANS TRUST Cabinet last week approved the appointment of members to the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board to replace the previous Board, whose term of office expired in 2005.Their term of office will start on September 1 2006.The Chairman is Kenapeta Hikuama-Mupaine, who is the Director of Labour Market Services in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.Other members are Albert Biwa, Deputy Director Social Assistance (Pensions), Ministry of Labour and Social Services; Onno Amutenya, Deputy Director Information Systems Centre at the National Planning Commission; Major Monika Sheya, Public Relations Officer in the Defence Ministry; Colonel George Ngeesheya, Staff Officer in the Directorate of Personnel in the Defence Ministry; Mrs C Kauaria from the Ministry of Finance; Angelina Nauta-Sinvula, Director Budget Management and Control in the Ministry of Finance; Helao Shityuwete and Ida Jimmy.Parliament has approved the establishment of the War Veteran Trust Fund under the War Veteran Subvention Act of 1999.The objective of the Fund is to pay grants to war veterans and dependants of deceased war veterans.The Act also provides for the establishment of the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board to administer the War Veteran Trust Fund.According to the Act, members of the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board must be appointed for three years and must be composed of representatives of the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Finance, Defence, the National Planning Commission and organisations representing war veterans.However, the newly formed Committee for the Welfare of Ex-Combatants is not represented on the Board.The Ministry of Labour is responsible for the administration of the War Veteran Subvention Act.The plan was announced in Windhoek yesterday by Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.She emphasised that it formed part of ongoing initiatives by Government to care for former combatants.”Most of the war veterans and former Robben Island prisoners interviewed live in deplorable housing conditions and ailing health due to age advancement.Many of them lack adequate and proper care from family members and are thus unable to sustain themselves, hence Cabinet’s decision for their needs to get urgent attention,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.The Minister emphasised that Government had been working on meeting war veterans’ needs since Independence.”We cannot have anybody hijack this programme and sow confusion among the people – some might be opportunistic,” the Minister replied when asked about the demands of a recently formed Committee on the Welfare of Ex-Combatants, chaired by Ruusa Malulu.In terms of the housing initiative, it was revealed yesterday that 48 former Robben Island prisoners, war veterans of the Peoples’ Liberation Army of Namibian (Plan) and “internally brutalised people” would benefit from the construction of 45 new houses and the extension of two existing houses.Cabinet has approved N$5,8 million for this purpose.It has also directed the Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity Provision to allocate N$1,5 million to equip the houses with solar-power systems and plastic water catchment tanks The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has to start immediately with the construction of the 45 houses and the extension of two existing houses.The 45 two- and three-bedroom houses will be built in the Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Okavango, Kunene, Caprivi, Khomas, Karas and Otjozondjupa regions.”For the next five years, N$2 million will be made available annually from the Social Housing Programme of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development to gradually construct more houses for Plan war veterans who qualify and for “internally brutalised” people in accordance with Cabinet’s instruction,” Nandi-Ndaitwah added.Those “internally brutalised” under apartheid rule within Namibia need not n
ecessarily belong to Swapo or to any political party, the Minister said, but she did not make the list of names available.”Because no records exist of “internally brutalised” persons, Regional Governors were asked to identify up to 10 beneficiaries in this category to be interviewed by the Technical Committee,” the Minister told reporters at a media briefing. The Technical Committee, appointed to investigate the housing needs of former Robben Island prisoners, Plan war veterans and the “internally brutalised”, interviewed a total of 191 war veterans, 23 former Robben Island prisoners and 105 “internally brutalised” persons in all 13 regions. The Technical Committee is chaired by Erastus Negonga, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government.He co-opted officials from the Ministries of Defence, Labour and Social Welfare, Lands and Resettlement, the National Planning Commission and the Social Integration Programme for Ex-Combatants (SIPE) to assist the Committee.”The Committee started its work in 2003 already under Minister Joel Kapaanda,” Negonga, who was also present at the briefing, said.The cut-off age for the war veterans to benefit from the housing scheme was 60 years and above.They must have joined Swapo during or before 1975 and should not have been employed after Independence.Beneficiaries must be homeless or without reasonable housing.During the investigations in February and March this year, the Technical Committee established that a number of war veterans who qualify for the monthly social grant of N$500 were not receiving it.This situation was addressed and eligible war veterans were processed to receive social grants. WAR VETERANS TRUST Cabinet last week approved the appointment of members to the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board to replace the previous Board, whose term of office expired in 2005.Their term of office will start on September 1 2006.The Chairman is Kenapeta Hikuama-Mupaine, who is the Director of Labour Market Services in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.Other members are Albert Biwa, Deputy Director Social Assistance (Pensions), Ministry of Labour and Social Services; Onno Amutenya, Deputy Director Information Systems Centre at the National Planning Commission; Major Monika Sheya, Public Relations Officer in the Defence Ministry; Colonel George Ngeesheya, Staff Officer in the Directorate of Personnel in the Defence Ministry; Mrs C Kauaria from the Ministry of Finance; Angelina Nauta-Sinvula, Director Budget Management and Control in the Ministry of Finance; Helao Shityuwete and Ida Jimmy.Parliament has approved the establishment of the War Veteran Trust Fund under the War Veteran Subvention Act of 1999.The objective of the Fund is to pay grants to war veterans and dependants of deceased war veterans. The Act also provides for the establishment of the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board to administer the War Veteran Trust Fund.According to the Act, members of the War Veteran Subvention Administration Board must be appointed for three years and must be composed of representatives of the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Finance, Defence, the National Planning Commission and organisations representing war veterans.However, the newly formed Committee for the Welfare of Ex-Combatants is not represented on the Board.The Ministry of Labour is responsible for the administration of the War Veteran Subvention Act.