By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
War veterans are threatening to boycott voting for leaders at all levels if the Government does not pay them pensions from the colonial times to date.
They further plan a demonstration in November.
Chairperson of the Association for the Namibia Ex-freedom Fighters, Ruusa Malulu, yesterday accused the Government of not being responsive to the plight of ex-combatants.
In a letter copied to the Office of the President, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, and the Ministry for Safety and Security, the association demands that the registration of war veterans starts on 1 October 2007 and payments should start end of the same month.
“The Government should pronounce itself on or before November 20, 2007, how much they will pay us and how it will be paid,” said Malulu.
The spokesperson for the association, Alex Kamwi, said parents, children, family members and sympathisers of ex-combatants should “lock their voter’s cards in suitcases and safes. They should not attend any classes for voting whatsoever.”
Members of the army, police force, and civil servants, prison warders and war victims, among other veterans, will start moving to the capital from November 22-24 to participate in a demonstration on November 26, 2007 claimed Kamwi.
Ex-combatants also accuse the Government of trying to bring division among them.
According to Kamwi, reports from ex-combatants’ regional representatives say the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, William Amagulu, and Special Advisor, Frederick Matongo, toured some regions where they informed people that war veterans would be divided into three categories.
Kamwi says the move taken by the ministry officials was not discussed during the meeting held between war veterans’ representatives and the ministry officials on July 10 this year.
He said, during the meeting with the Minister of Veteran Affairs, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, war veterans were informed that the ministry was busy recruiting staff. They were also informed that a Bill that should clarify or define a veteran was yet to be completed and as such, no payments could be made.
The ministry also needed to hold a conference with stakeholders to draw up strategic plans to guide the ministry.
Kamwi said after the meeting, the association was informed that the ministry’s delegation said war veterans who are 55 years and over qualify for social welfare pension payouts back-dated from colonial times to date, and those in the army would be given ranks such as captains or majors.
It is further alleged that those aged 54 years or less may qualify for social welfare, jobs, farms or fishing quotas in groups.
The Permanent Secretary allegedly also informed ex-combatants that regional coordinators would be invited for the drafting of the Bill before it goes to Parliament.
“That did not happen, they went on to decide for us as if we can not think for ourselves,” Malulu said.
“The association rejects the division that the Government wants to sow among us because on our repatriation forms, there are no age restrictions and Swapo never divided us according to ages when we were fighting,” she added.
Amagulu says most of the things said by the ex-combatants are misunderstood and that they have not consulted the ministry.
He confirmed informing ex-combatants about categorising by age. He says the decision to do so would not mean that some ex-combatants are superior to others but it would make it easier for the ministry to meet the needs of different age groups.
“For example, the needs of orphans and young people would be education, while for an old person it might be a house,” he illustrated.
He added that these were just suggestions including what has been forwarded to Cabinet. The ministry will still have to consult with war veterans before final decisions are made.
On the demonstration, he said countries do not run on intimidation, those who want to demonstrate can do so as long as they do not interfere with peace but that does not mean the government is doing nothing.
On Saturday, the association held a meeting, which was attended by about 600 ex-fighters. Malulu says after scrutinising Government plans, it was concluded that the Government is not willing to cooperate and has refused to include war-veterans in deciding their future.