Struggle kids feel left out of Cassinga Day commemorations

Over 200 children of the liberation struggle living at a Swapo owned farm on the northern outskirts of Windhoek today commemorated Cassinga Day with a peaceful march, but feel left out of the main remembrance event in Angola.

Cassinga Day is commemorated on 04 May each year in honour of the about 600 people who died when the South African Defence Force attacked a Swapo camp at Cassinga in Angola in 1978.

The group of about 237 women, men and children marched to and from their camp near the Ndilimani Cultural Troupe farm to the B1 road between Windhoek and Okahandja, singing liberation songs in remembrance of the injustice that took place that fateful day.

The farm is situated about 10 kilometres outside Windhoek.

The group’s spokesperson, Tunelago ya Toivo said the march was held in remembrance of some of their parents who died at Cassinga during the liberation struggle.

She said they feel left out because they were not included in the official commemoration which takes place in Angola this year.

“We feel bad; our parents are buried there but we have never been there and Government left us out. We were not aware that the commemoration is taking place there, otherwise we would have been there, ” said Ya Toivo.

Another member of the group, Daniel Aludhilu, said their parents sacrificed their lives for the country and its independence.

He said one of the reasons they came to Windhoek was for Government to answer their call for employment but that has not yet happened.

“We were treated badly when we arrived in Namibia. Our parents are [buried] at Cassinga, while we are here suffering. We remember our mothers who died for the liberation struggle, ” said Aludhilu.

The group will spend the day singing songs of remembrance at the camp.