Veterans to march again

THE National Committee on the Welfare of Ex-Combatants is back.

The group led by Alex Kamwi and Rusa Malulu, who earlier this year had authorities frustrated with their week-long demonstration in front of the Justice Ministry in Windhoek, say they will hold a rally in Windhoek on Saturday. Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, group co-ordinator Matheus Nangolo said the committee felt that Government had been silent for too long about their grievances, and they therefore need to make themselves visible once again.”We’ve been told that they are busy, but we need to know the specifics.The War Veterans’ Bill was tabled (last month) without our input, we hear that there are representatives from the Mozambican and Zimbabwean veterans’ ministries in the country currently, and we still have not been informed how far Government is with our money,” Nangolo said.He said any of the committee’s members from outside Windhoek who intended to join Saturday’s rally would have to arrange their own transport and accommodation.In June, between 150 and 200 supporters of the group braced cold weather and even pepper spray from Police at one point to demonstrate outside the Justice Ministry for about a week, demanding compensation they said they had been promised for the part they played during the country’s liberation struggle.They eventually dispersed after being served with an eviction order and after a meeting at the Veterans’ Affairs Ministry, where they were apparently promised that Government would keep them up to date.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, group co-ordinator Matheus Nangolo said the committee felt that Government had been silent for too long about their grievances, and they therefore need to make themselves visible once again.”We’ve been told that they are busy, but we need to know the specifics.The War Veterans’ Bill was tabled (last month) without our input, we hear that there are representatives from the Mozambican and Zimbabwean veterans’ ministries in the country currently, and we still have not been informed how far Government is with our money,” Nangolo said.He said any of the committee’s members from outside Windhoek who intended to join Saturday’s rally would have to arrange their own transport and accommodation.In June, between 150 and 200 supporters of the group braced cold weather and even pepper spray from Police at one point to demonstrate outside the Justice Ministry for about a week, demanding compensation they said they had been promised for the part they played during the country’s liberation struggle.They eventually dispersed after being served with an eviction order and after a meeting at the Veterans’ Affairs Ministry, where they were apparently promised that Government would keep them up to date.