The Writing Is On The Wall

FROM 1970 to the early 80s we the Swapo youth inside Namibia were actively involved in mass demonstrations and kept on shaking the apartheid regime while inspired by the strong motivational speeches of Comrades Ben Ulenga, Petrus Iilonga, Moses !Omeb, Ngatjizeko, the late Comrades Thlabanello, Pandeni, Tjongarero, Bessinger etc, to join the liberation struggle.

I don’t know where the Kapias, Ngurares and Kaarondas were hiding at that time, but anyhow, they are all welcome in the Swapo, even the Johnny- come-latelies. I was inspired especially by Comrade !Gonteb who kept the crowd alive and cheering him with his strong Damara/Nama accent (click) while translating for others. I can clearly recall the day he demonstrated to us what brainwashing was all about with a simple orange. How the apartheid regime would use blacks and then dump them afterwards. (While still sucking the juice from the orange, he then threw it in the direction of the notorious Koevoets who were a few metres away observing the meeting). Indeed that message inspired many of us to go into exile for military training in order to liberate our beloved country Namibia. In exile we were occasionally reminded of socialist ideologies of brotherhood, love, unity etc. Tatekulu Sam Nujoma on several occasions echoed the same sentiments during many of his visits to our camps that, in Namibia, there would be no poor Namibian, everyone will enjoy the fruits of independence. We all worshipped him, we believed in him. But … eish… if I only knew.For many years from Independence until now we’ve patiently observed in amazement how our leaders pass us on the roadside with their tinted windows in expensive cars without even throwing a dollar in our direction. It is now like everyone for himself. So far most of the Ministers, PSs and MPs either got farms or shares since Independence as if they are entitled to them. Tatekulu Nujoma has been receiving plenty of gifts and donations which we are all aware of. Apart from his monthly pension plus other benefits, he is still getting things from well-wishers for having liberated this country. If Tatekulu could just share his wealth with us who fought this bitter and long war alongside with him. Maybe also he can take a patriotic stance by requesting the N$30 million destined for his new office to be channelled directly to all the freedom fighters.Having been ignored too long by our leaders, and moved by the hunger and cries of our children we held our first peaceful demonstration but were teargassed for justly demanding the promises made to us in exile. Nearly 20 years down the line we are still poor and cannot even afford to take our children through to high school, attend a private hospital, or be buried in a decent manner at Heroes’ Acre; while they with their families can attend the best schools, universities, hospitals, after all our efforts of sleeping in the bush while its raining, sharing your bed with snakes and insects, chased around day and night by the Casspirs, fighting the strongest army on the African continent to the bitter end, was all in vain. When I think of all the hardship and suffering we went through, the fate of my fellow unfortunate disabled freedom fighters, some of them mentally tormented by suffering and humiliation is like torture. I just want to cry. We wanted to go fight in Iraq in order to sustain our families but our Government refused. Now that it is election time they are playing cat and mouse with us as if we are children, using delaying tactics. Why don’t you just admit that compensation was just an empty promise to keep us all happy while we were suffering. Tatekulu, you are our only ‘father’ we knew since exile. Did you forget the liberation ideals we fought for? Please attend to our misery. Comrade !Omeb, you were precisely on the dot. Now I understand the meaning of the orange. After all it is so painful to think of how we have been misused. The writing is already on the wall, the struggle for social justice will be secured at the November election. Johnny ‘Bazooka’ ShitaleniKatutura