While a court declaration exists that children of the liberation must not receive preferential treatment, the Office of the Prime Minister has allegedly been meeting a faction of the group behind closed-doors, concocting a plan on how to spend millions that are lying idle in an account.
New Era reported earlier this week that an account named Children of the Liberation had a balance of N$13 million. The account is one of eight others held by the premier’s office. The details are captured in an audit report by Auditor General Junias Kandjeke, in the books of the OPM for the 2021/2022 financial year.
Following the New Era article earlier this week, the Namibia Exile Kids Association (Neka) vice president, Kadiva Hamutumwa issued a statement, seemingly hitting back, calling for calm among children of the liberation struggle, or struggle kids as they are affectionately known.
According to the statement, Neka had an engagement with the OPM about a fortnight ago, which dealt with the just-concluded applications for police recruitment and “the money that has been mentioned in this [New Era] article”.
“The decision taken at the meeting is that Neka is to submit a proposal to the OPM with the aim to look at how to make use of the money in the article. Subsequent to that Neka held an executive meeting and discussed how to go about with the development of the proposal,” Hamutumwa is quoted as saying.
She continued: “The decision taken at the last Neka exco meeting is that a task force has been established consisting of three exco members. We have also requested the regional leaders to nominate a representative per region to be part of the task force committee. This includes the teams at Ndilimani [farm] and youth in Windhoek.”
The ad hoc committee has the responsibility of coming up with business proposals that will be submitted to the OPM.
“Further to this, Neka companies will be registered by all regional leadership so that Neka members may trade and do business and apply for tenders through the Neka companies,” she says.
Neka, she added, ensured that the task force is inclusive and a representative of all struggle kids, countrywide.
“Further communication will be provided by the regional leadership when we start developing the proposals. We, therefore, call on all of us to allow the process to take its course. Rest assured that the OPM is looking forward to the proposals in a positive spirit,” Hamutumwa implored.
If her words are taken on face value, it means the OPM is going against a High Court order that annulled the special treatment for children of liberation struggle.
At the time of going to print yesterday, the OPM had not responded to detailed question over the controversial account.
Meanwhile, in a handwritten petition, another faction of struggle kids who have been camping at a Swapo farm outside Windhoek, registered dismay in the manner in which they have been treated.
The group leader, Albertina Ekandjo is baffled that N$13 million lies in their purported bank account while they swim in a pool of dire poverty.
“We have been knocking at the OPM office following promises from the government but they always chase us away without answering us. We decide now to come at the PM office concerning the struggle kids account in the Office of the PM, with a balance of N$13 million as was published in the New Era of 31 May 2023. Why is the PM’s Office ignoring us and they have our money instead of solving the CLS issue at once?” Ekandjo wanted to know.
“They must take us out of camps by using our money that sits in their office. They must employ us. We are tired of losing our lives in Ndilimani farm where they keep us while they are ignoring us. Honourable Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and the executive director must answer us,” Ekandjo demanded.
Romans Kawana received the petition on behalf of the PM’s Office. The group will have a meeting with him today.