Political Perspective

I CAN’T understand why the ex-combatant issue has reared its head again.

Mind you, most of us knew it would never go away. Former fighters from both sides have been paid sums of money on several occasions since Independence, if my recall is correct, and demonstrations have surfaced from time to time to give voice to their demands.Now it appears, at least in their view, that the matter has never been resolved.DON’T quite know how Government, or perhaps more accurately the President, is going to deal with this one, because the committee – comprised of an estimated 40 combatants – is demanding an audience.The number, at any rate, seems to have dwindled over time; although if there is any acknowledgement that payouts need to be made once again, their ranks will once again swell with unhappy former fighters.And even though they’ve had recompense (or some at any rate) there are those who felt they are owed more than what they’ve received, and obviously on a more permanent, rather than one-off basis.One could tend to be fairly dismissive of their demands, which seem to recur from time to time, but on the other hand, with senior Government Ministers and other already empowered black Namibians who continue to claim they are still ‘previously disadvantaged’ why then can’t the combatants do the same.The amounts they’ve received in comparison to the political elite, however, are obviously paltry.But still, there have been a number of initiatives by Government to deal with the problem by either giving them sums of money to start own businesses, or creating development brigades to teach them trades.The payouts were successful, but other initiatives, such as the DBC, were hopeless failures.Nonetheless, there were some former combatants who have made something of their lives, investing the amounts they received in small businesses and/or becoming entrepreneurs.If I’m not mistaken, even the chairperson of the current group, Alex Kamwi, is self-employed.The phrase ‘ex-combatants’ is also one that has been widely misinterpreted and misused.Because some describe themselves as such, does not necessarily mean that there were, in fact, fighters of the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan).Many of them were children who were living, or born in exile, and yet nevertheless, on their return to Namibia prior to Independence, described themselves as ‘ex-combatants’.No matter how vexatious it may be, it will probably be once again an issue that Government is forced to deal with in one way or another.It affects, after all, the Swapo constituency at its heart.One would have thought, because we honestly don’t know who they are and neither have we been told, such people would have found themselves at the top of the lists of those wanting to be resettled on agricultural land.I am almost certain that a number of ex-combatants would be among the estimated 38 000 people already ‘resettled’ in this fashion.But perhaps things haven’t worked out for them in the agricultural context.And while one bemoans the fact that over 16 years after Independence the plight of ex-combatants still remains an issue, at the same time it is true to say that at least a goodly proportion of them, and those who took up arms in particular, are already middle-aged and staring retirement in the face, if they aren’t there already.There are no more youthful ex-combatants nearly two decades after Independence, and if they claim to be, then they are surely poseurs.It remains to be seen how President Hifikepunye Pohamba handles the resurgence in demands from the ranks of former fighters.It will be his first time.His predecessor, President Sam Nujoma, had to deal with such issues on a number of occasions.Former fighters from both sides have been paid sums of money on several occasions since Independence, if my recall is correct, and demonstrations have surfaced from time to time to give voice to their demands.Now it appears, at least in their view, that the matter has never been resolved.DON’T quite know how Government, or perhaps more accurately the President, is going to deal with this one, because the committee – comprised of an estimated 40 combatants – is demanding an audience.The number, at any rate, seems to have dwindled over time; although if there is any acknowledgement that payouts need to be made once again, their ranks will once again swell with unhappy former fighters.And even though they’ve had recompense (or some at any rate) there are those who felt they are owed more than what they’ve received, and obviously on a more permanent, rather than one-off basis.One could tend to be fairly dismissive of their demands, which seem to recur from time to time, but on the other hand, with senior Government Ministers and other already empowered black Namibians who continue to claim they are still ‘previously disadvantaged’ why then can’t the combatants do the same.The amounts they’ve received in comparison to the political elite, however, are obviously paltry.But still, there have been a number of initiatives by Government to deal with the problem by either giving them sums of money to start own businesses, or creating development brigades to teach them trades.The payouts were successful, but other initiatives, such as the DBC, were hopeless failures.Nonetheless, there were some former combatants who have made something of their lives, investing the amounts they received in small businesses and/or becoming entrepreneurs.If I’m not mistaken, even the chairperson of the current group, Alex Kamwi, is self-employed.The phrase ‘ex-combatants’ is also one that has been widely misinterpreted and misused.Because some describe themselves as such, does not necessarily mean that there were, in fact, fighters of the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan).Many of them were children who were living, or born in exile, and yet nevertheless, on their return to Namibia prior to Independence, described themselves as ‘ex-combatants’.No matter how vexatious it may be, it will probably be once again an issue that Government is forced to deal with in one way or another.It affects, after all, the Swapo constituency at its heart.One would have thought, because we honestly don’t know who they are and neither have we been told, such people would have found themselves at the top of the lists of those wanting to be resettled on agricultural land.I am almost certain that a number of ex-combatants would be among the estimated 38 000 people already ‘resettled’ in this fashion.But perhaps things haven’t worked out for them in the agricultural context.And while one bemoans the fact that over 16 years after Independence the plight of ex-combatants still remains an issue, at the same time it is true to say that at least a goodly proportion of them, and those who took up arms in particular, are already middle-aged and staring retirement in the face, if they aren’t there already.There are no more youthful ex-combatants nearly two decades after Independence, and if they claim to be, then they are surely poseurs.It remains to be seen how President Hifikepunye Pohamba handles the resurgence in demands from the ranks of former fighters.It will be his first time.His predecessor, President Sam Nujoma, had to deal with such issues on a number of occasions.