By:Ludorf Iyambo
The children of the liberation struggle have given the defence and veteran affairs ministry two months to respond to their demands of being deregistered with the ministry of youth and sports and transferred to the defence and veteran affairs ministry.
The group yesterday took to the streets to march to the ministry of defence and veteran affairs’ offices to hand over their ninth petition to minister Frans Kapofi in which they asked to be removed from the ministry of sport, youth and national services..
The group first made the demand in 2016, but yesterday they decided to take to the streets again to reiterate their demand, and wanting a response before 2 February 2023.
Group leader Kamati Johannes claimed that in 2008 the founding president Sam Nujoma promised them jobs in the Namibia Defence Force (NDR), adding: “We were born to be soldiers.”
He added that in the same year a special project was created at Oluno military base near Ondangwa for them to undergo training, but this was stopped in 2011.
The ‘struggle kids’objected to being called “children of the liberation struggle” but instead “dependents of living or deceased veterans”.
“We are warning the government or anybody who pretends to represent us to stop calling us names like children of the liberation and Namibian exile kids because these names are not our names. We are dependents (of veterans) but not kids,” Johannes stressed.
In the petition, the group argued that they are not happy with their plight falling under the ministry of sport, youth and national service “for no reason.”
“In the registration form of children of the liberation struggle as per the Cabinet decision, No. 17th ( \16.09\002), it stated that children of the liberation struggle are children of veterans, Act No. 2 of 2008. We are requesting the minister to give us the same registration forms that were used in 2008 to register all veterans, for us to get registered as dependents of living or deceased veterans as defined in the Act.”
The petition further stated that the Act of No. 2 of 2008 did not separate them from their parents, therefore they are questioning who gave either the ministry or cabinet permission to separate them from their parents.
According to the petition, Act No.2 of 22 May 2008 provides for the establishment of a veteran’s fund for the provision of assistance to veterans and dependents of living or deceased veterans. The Act avails the provision of the establishment of projects for the benefit of and assistance to veterans, to provide for the constitution and functions of the veterans’ board.
Mashuna Timoteus, acting deputy director for policy research and registration services, who received the petition said that the ministry will look at the issues that they are raising and that they will respond accordingly.