The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) announced on Tuesday that party president McHenry Venaani received a delegation representing former Swapo refugees who were repatriated in 1989.
The engagement comes after the group reportedly began camping at the Swapo headquarters in October 2025.
They are demanding answers over longstanding grievances related to the 1989 repatriation process following Namibia’s transition to independence.
The PDM said the delegation raised longstanding concerns and challenges that they say have remained unresolved for decades.
Venaani reaffirmed the PDM’s commitment to ensuring that no Namibian is left unheard or forgotten.
He undertook to elevate these matters to the national level, pledging to advocate for justice, recognition, and dignity for all those who sacrificed for Namibia’s independence.
This political engagement follows recent public statements from both the United Nations (UN) and Swapo officials regarding the group’s grievances.
Representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have said their role in 1989 was limited to assisting with voluntary repatriation, and that all available donor funds were fully utilised and accounted for, meaning no undistributed post-repatriation funds remain subject to claim.
The UN said the responsibility for ongoing support lies with Namibia.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa said the party’s records contain no evidence supporting allegations that UN-allocated funds were diverted or withheld.
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