Seven months since camping at the veterans affairs office at the intersection of John Meinert and Rossini streets in Windhoek, the children of war veterans who were born in exile say they will not leave without answers.
Outside the small office of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, the campers have made themselves at home – cooking, bathing and sleeping in tents while cars drive by along the busy street.
When The Namibian visited the site yesterday afternoon, a few kitchen items were scattered around, including a portable stove, plastic dishes with remnants of dry porridge, and an open bag of maize meal. A makeshift shower was visible in a corner, sectioned off by a large piece of plastic only.
A woman sat on a bucket in the shade of a tree braiding another’s hair.
“Sometimes veterans visiting the office give us a few dollars to buy food,” she said.
‘NEW YEAR, OLD DEMANDS’
The group has been camping at the veterans office since 1 December last year.
John Amadhila, one of the campers, yesterday said they are not asking much from the government.
“We just want a little recognition,” he said.
He said the members of the group were born when their parents were in exile during the liberation struggle, but are now treated the same as those born in the country.
Amadhila, who came to Namibia from Angola in 1989, said they are not recognised, despite their parents being registered as war veterans.
“We were told only people under 18 qualify to be dependants of war veterans. We’ve been pleading for recognition for years, but were rather registered to get jobs under the ministries of defence and veterans affairs, safety and security, and of environment,” he said.
The Veterans Act only allows the provision of benefits to a child of a war veteran below the age of 18.
The group of about 20 people say they were below 18 at the time of Namibia becoming independent. The act was, however, only enacted in 2008.
“A Cabinet decision took us out of the veterans ministry and put us under the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture,” Amadhila said.
The group petitioned the Office of the Prime Minister, the president, the parliament and the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs in 2024.
The parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs, in response to the petition, said the issue has been of concern for years, and the ministry has not made any effort to review and address the exclusion of the dependants.
It recommended that the veterans affairs ministry, together with the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, review the proposed amendments to the Veterans Act or come up with amendments that accommodate all children born in exile during the liberation struggle.
Helvi Amukwaya, who was born in Angola, says the group will not leave the premises until the government recognises them.
“We were removed from the veteran affairs ministry and put under youth. We don’t fall under youth any more,” she said yesterday.
Amukwaya said she is hoping the president would give them a positive response.
Ndapunikwa David, who was born in Zambia, says the situation has affected the group members emotionally as they have not received a favourable response for years.
“We were given fake classes seven years ago with certificates that have no value. In those classes we were taught to make charcoal, but how is that going to help?” she asked.
“I have a repatriation form, and a different citizenship. How does that make us the same? We just want a proper answer,” she says.
Amadila Nikodemus, who was also born in Angola and who was part of the group trained to make charcoal, is asking for a job.
He says the training had no value.
“We were promised a job in the police, but ended up making charcoal and earning N$1 500 a month. I have nowhere to stay. We want the government to help us build houses or give us money so we can afford shelter,” he says.
Veteran affairs minister Frans Kapofi yesterday told The Namibian that the Veterans Act only allows dependants of the liberation struggle under the age of 18 to benefit from government support.
He said only national liberation soldiers and civilians benefit – not those born in exile.
“We deal with veterans of national liberation. What about those born in the country? Must we discriminate? The exception is those who carried guns at the forefront,” he said.
Kapofi said those born in Angola and Namibia at the time are all dependants of veterans, and only benefit if they are younger than 18.
