Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – Namibia National Veteran Association (NNLVA) president Ben Shikongo has rebutted claims by the recently established ‘Peter Nanyemba Plan Combatant Veterans Trust’ (PNPCVT) that recently announced it is an affiliate of NNLVA, saying he never sanctioned the formation of PNPCVT.
Shikongo, the retired commissioner of the Special Field Force said that NNLVA’s leadership never, under any circumstances, sanctioned the Trust established by Nkrumah Mushelenga as NNLVA never held any consultations nor was there any mutual agreement reached with the initiators of the PNPCVT.
“NNLVA and its leadership openly disassociate itself with any pre-existed formalities and arrangements leading to the establishment of such a Trust and the initiators thereof are not known to NNLVA,” Shikongo said.
He stated that, NNLVA is the only recognised liberation veterans’ association by the government of the Republic of Namibia as the sole custodian of the veterans of Namibia’s liberation struggle.
Shikongo added, “Through this mandate of custodianship NNLVA and its ranks and file has been conflicted and thus it regards the PNPCVT, which was established without consultation, as tantamount to confusion sown amongst the veterans of the liberation struggle by certain individual liberation veterans with a dubious agenda.”
NNLVA confirmed it has existing programmers geared for the benefit of the liberation war veterans and therefore the association has an open-door policy to accommodate the views and initiatives of its members.
“Whoever comes up with such initiatives to benefit the veterans of the liberation struggle should approach the veteran’s association,” he further stated.
NNLVA said its leadership encourages individuals and organisations with intention to initiate projects for the liberation veterans, in exception to the department of veteran’s affairs under the Office of the Vice-President of the Republic of Namibia, to firstly consult and sell such desired projects or programmes to the NNLVA leadership for possible endorsement or approval.
NNLVA leadership reiterated its standpoint and also ensures its members that the Peter Nanyemba Veterans Trust has not been established in consultation with NNLVA and thus does not form part of its structure.
Shikongo urges its members to distance themselves from unknown programs and projects of this nature and consult NNLVA when they encounter dilemmas.
He said NNLVA further observed that there are also individuals groups conducting ‘illegal meetings’ with NNLVA members across the country with the purpose to register them for various reasons of their own agenda and rob them of money in different ways.
“The NNLVA leadership strongly warns the said groups to refrain from such unlawful practices and advice all liberation veterans countrywide to not fall prey to the said groups,” warned Shikongo.
According to an article which was published by New Era on the 24 January 2019, the founder of the PNPCVT, Nkrumah Mushelenga stated the Trust was established in terms of Article 125 (3) of the Namibian Constitution and the Trust Monies Protection Act No. 34 of 1934.
New Era could not get hold of the founder of the PNPCVT, Nkrumah Mushelenga at the time of going to print as his number went unanswered.