‘Struggle kids’ want to return to Angola

THE ‘children of the liberation struggle’ camping at the Swapo headquarters in Katutura have reiterated their call to be returned to Angola.

Speaking to The Namibian last week, the demonstrating group’s secretary, Petrus Nendongo, said: ‘It’s better to suffer in your country of birth than to suffer in another country.’The majority of the group say they were born in exile in Angola, and have on previous occasions made calls to be returned to their country of birth. ‘If they [Government] know there are no jobs for us here, let them open the doors for us to go to Angola,’ the protesters say.But while they say they would prefer to be in Angola, the group also say they want to have their livelihoods secured in that country before they are sent there.’We request President [Hifikepunye] Pohamba to negotiate with [Angolan President Jose Eduardo] dos Santos for us so that if we go we have jobs. We were not born in Namibia, some of our parents have already died, we don’t have an income, and if we go back to where we came from, maybe we’ll be treated there,’ added Lucia Ntinda, leader of the Okuryanga faction of the group.They added that they want Government to transport them to Angola by plane.’We came here by plane,’ Nendongo told The Namibian. ‘As long as they give us our air tickets, that’s fine. We want to go back in the same way we came here. Then from there, the Angolan government can take over.’Asked what kind of jobs they expect to receive in Angola, Nendongo said: ‘Angola is a very rich country to be honest, and that’s not a joke. There’s mining, oil, gardens, and many other things. In fact, Namibia should be importing fruits and vegetables from Angola, not from South Africa.’He also believes that the Angolan government would receive them with open arms.’He [Dos Santos] wouldn’t just leave us. It’s possible that he already knows what’s going on. And from our side, he doesn’t have a choice of rejecting us because we were born there.’They added that the United Nations should get involved in their repatriation to Angola.’Let the UN be involved. We are living as refugees here, but we are not all together. Some of us are living under bridges, in shacks, and so on. Those of us here demonstrating don’t have a choice,’ Nendongo said.Aside from calls for a negotiated return to Angola, the group also vented to The Namibian about politicians emphasising the word ‘children’ in the term ‘children of the liberation struggle’.’We are not kids! Kids don’t demonstrate for 10 months. Some of us have our own children,’ Nendongo said.