Windhoek
Eighty-eight adults, in this case normally referred to as ‘struggle kids’ who walked 700 kilometres from Oshakati to Windhoek, joined by other ‘struggle kids’ from Grootfontein, arrived in Windhoek late afternoon on Friday.
They arrived in the capital at 17h20 after a three and a half days’ walk and although exhausted, dehydrated and with blistered feet no one had been hospitalized.
About 74 group members also known as ‘struggle kids’ walked from Swapo’s Oshakati office on Tuesday morning around 11h00 and met 14 fellow members from Grootfontien who joined the walk to Windhoek.
On Tuesday last week, 17 ‘struggle kids’ from Rundu had also arrived in Windhoek. There are now 485 ‘struggle kids’ camping at Ndilimani Cultural Troupe farm in Brakwater.
On Friday afternoon, New Era met some members camping in Windhoek who were walking along the B1 road from Ndilimani camp to the Windhoek-Okahandja roadblock to receive the group from the north.
The 34-year-old Max Tobia Hafeni who walked from Oshakati said the reason to come to Windhoek was because they are dissatisfied with answers given to them by Swapo Secretary-General Nangolo Mbumba, who visited the group in Oshakati last week.
“He didn’t tell us when we will be recruited or specify which year we will be recruited,” said Hafeni, adding that they don’t want to wait long before they get jobs like previous groups. Hafeni stated that they came to Windhoek because all ‘struggle kids’ who got employed are the ones who camped.
“We are tired, hungry and thirsty that’s why we decided to come to Windhoek so that we can be answered or recruited,” narrated Hafeni.
When further asked about the journey, Hafeni said it took them three and a half days to walk to Windhoek. He explained that they didn’t carry their luggage as they asked good Samaritans along the way such as truck drivers to transport their luggage and drop it at agreed spots ahead of them. Hafeni said they only carried their luggage from Okahandja to Windhoek. On the way they mostly drank water and survived on dry bread, he said.
“We only cooked this morning (on Friday) in Okahandja,” he remarked.
Leader Jerry Hamukwaya camping in Windhoek said fellow members have arrived and he accepted them in his camp. “They will be with me until whatever problem is solved. We will be together until we reach our objective,” said Hamukwaya.