Read my lips: There’s no money, Minister tells vets

THE United Nations (UN) never gave nor promised to give either Swapo or the Namibian Government any money at Independence.

This was the point Veterans’ Affairs Minister Ngarikutuke Tjiriange said he wanted to make clear, once and for all, he told a press conference in Windhoek yesterday. In Government’s most comprehensive reply yet to the demands of war veterans protesting in front of his Ministry’s offices, Tjiriange not only rejected their demands, but said there had never been any money from the UN.In a petition handed to the Minister on Monday, the group referred to a World Bank report which, they said, stated that Government was required to provide Plan veterans with “demobilisation packages, shelter construction, and a one-time severance pay to cover our basic needs”.Tjiriange yesterday handed the media copies of the report, which he said was taken from a publication on the Internet.”The World Bank report being referred to did not apply only to former Plan combatants but also to the demobilised SWATF soldiers, including the San former soldiers.Nowhere in the report is reference made to the figures that are now being cited by the Malulu group,” Tjiriange said.Those who returned at Independence received blankets, household supplies including kitchen equipment, cutlery and food parcels for an entire year, he said.”These efforts were entirely those of the UN and were not the responsibility of Swapo.In fact, this is what the UN does in the exercise of these operations all over the world, and as a matter of practice it does not include any compensation packages.”The former fighters were being deliberately misled by people who were feeding them baseless information, he claimed.Tjiriange also distributed copies of a reply the UN High Commissioner for Refugees had sent to President Hifikepunye Pohamba who had enquired about the UN payment.”The terms of the agreement were quite clear and did not contain any provisions for additional cash grants, nor were there subsequent discussions or separate provisions concerning this,” Commissioner Joyce Mendscole wrote to the President in October last year.Earlier in the day, Tjiriange had addressed the group of demonstrators, who yesterday spent their third day camped in front of the Ministry’s headquarters.The Veterans’ Affairs Minister told them that Cabinet had met on Tuesday to discuss their demands, and resolved that these were not economically viable.In their last petition, the group demanded N$80 000 per person – the money allegedly promised by the UN – a compensation package of N$32 000 per person multiplied by the number of years spent in exile, or a N$500 000 lump sum per person repatriated.After repeating his calls on veterans to remain calm, Tjiriange demanded that the group return to their homes immediately “so as not to compromise public health”.He also argued that the group were interfering with the freedom of movement of other citizens in the city centre.As they did on Monday, the group refused to leave and for almost an hour after Tjiriange had left, they vented their anger at the Minister and Government.”We will then die here! This will become the next Cassinga, the next Heroes’ Acre”, exclaimed the group’s leader, Ruusa Malulu.Tjiriange had earlier said nobody was forced into joining the liberation struggle, and that it had been on a voluntary basis.They asked why some “liberation volunteers” received, and were receiving, benefits while others did not.”Why do some have farms, and others have nothing?” they also asked.They also directed some of their wrath at Swapo leader Sam Nujoma.They questioned why he, as the former President, still received a package fit for an incumbent president.Many of the group’s members had threatened that they would now be forced to take what they wanted by force, referring to farms.Contacted later when the group had calmed down, however, spokesperson Alex Kamwi said that they group had only decided on two steps of action.In the first place they would remain right where they are, and secondly they threatened to hand in their voters’ registration cards to the Electoral Commission while persuading their families to do the same.When asked to comment on the group’s outbursts, Tjiriange said that it was within the group members’ rights not to vote if they decided not to.Referring to the threats of forcefully taking over farms, the Minister said that the country had laws which would allow for the prosecution of anyone who tried to do this.”You can’t just take over someone’s legally owned farm simply because you want money that doesn’t exist.Surely the law would then be on the side of the victim,” the Minister said.”I find it interesting to note that this group says they don’t want anything, only their money.But then they charge that they will take over people’s farms.Maybe if they had entered into some of the programmes Government wants to put in place, they could have been in line to receive a farm,” he said.Tjiriange said the demonstrators would be tolerated in front of the building for as long as Government felt was realistically possible.However, Government would not allow a situation where public health became an issue, he said.”There are no toilets there where they are.So if cholera for example breaks out, it’s not only them who will be affected,” he said.In Government’s most comprehensive reply yet to the demands of war veterans protesting in front of his Ministry’s offices, Tjiriange not only rejected their demands, but said there had never been any money from the UN.In a petition handed to the Minister on Monday, the group referred to a World Bank report which, they said, stated that Government was required to provide Plan veterans with “demobilisation packages, shelter construction, and a one-time severance pay to cover our basic needs”.Tjiriange yesterday handed the media copies of the report, which he said was taken from a publication on the Internet.”The World Bank report being referred to did not apply only to former Plan combatants but also to the demobilised SWATF soldiers, including the San former soldiers.Nowhere in the report is reference made to the figures that are now being cited by the Malulu group,” Tjiriange said.Those who returned at Independence received blankets, household supplies including kitchen equipment, cutlery and food parcels for an entire year, he said.”These efforts were entirely those of the UN and were not the responsibility of Swapo.In fact, this is what the UN does in the exercise of these operations all over the world, and as a matter of practice it does not include any compensation packages.”The former fighters were being deliberately misled by people who were feeding them baseless information, he claimed.Tjiriange also distributed copies of a reply the UN High Commissioner for Refugees had sent to President Hifikepunye Pohamba who had enquired about the UN payment. “The terms of the agreement were quite clear and did not contain any provisions for additional cash grants, nor were there subsequent discussions or separate provisions concerning this,” Commissioner Joyce Mendscole wrote to the President in October last year.Earlier in the day, Tjiriange had addressed the group of demonstrators, who yesterday spent their third day camped in front of the Ministry’s headquarters.The Veterans’ Affairs Minister told them that Cabinet had met on Tuesday to discuss their demands, and resolved that these were not economically viable.In their last petition, the group demanded N$80 000 per person – the money allegedly promised by the UN – a compensation package of N$32 000 per person multiplied by the number of years spent in exile, or a N$500 000 lump sum per person repatriated.After repeating his calls on veterans to remain calm, Tjiriange demanded that the group return to their homes immediately “so as not to compromise public health”.He also argued that the group were interfering with the freedom of movement of other citizens in the city centre.As they did on Monday, the group refused to leave and for almost an hour after Tjiriange had left, they vented their anger at the Minister and Government.”We will then die here! This will become the next Cassinga, the next Heroes’ Acre”, exclaimed the group’s leader, Ruusa Malulu.Tjiriange had earlier said nobody was forced into joining the liberation struggle, and that it had been on a voluntary basis.They asked why some “liberation volunteers” received, and were receiving, benefits while others did not.”Why do some have farms, and others have nothing?” they also asked.They also directed some of their wrath at Swapo leader Sam Nujoma.They questioned why he, as the former President, still received a package fit for an incumbent president.Many of the group’s members had threatened that they would now be forced to take what they wanted by force, referring to farms.Contacted later when the group had calmed down, however, spokesperson Alex Kamwi said that they group had only decided on two steps of action.In the first place they would remain right where they are, and secondly they threatened to hand in their voters’ registration cards to the Electoral Commission while persuading their families to do the same.When asked to comment on the group’s outbursts, Tjiriange said that it was within the group members’ rights not to vote if they decided not to.Referring to the threats of forcefully taking over farms, the Minister said that the country had laws which would allow for the prosecution of anyone who tried to do this.”You can’t just take over someone’s legally owned farm simply because you want money that doesn’t exist.Surely the law would then be on the side of the victim,” the Minister said.”I find it interesting to note that this group says they don’t want anything, only their money.But then they charge that they will take over people’s farms.Maybe if they had entered into some of the programmes Government wants to put in place, they could have been in line to receive a farm,” he said.Tjiriange said the demonstrators would be tolerated in front of the building for as long as Government felt was realistically possible.However, Government would not allow a situation where public health became an issue, he said.”There are no toilets there where they are.So if cholera for example breaks out, it’s not only them who will be affected,” he said.