WINDHOEK – Secretary to Cabinet, Frans Kapofi, has rubbished claims by the association representing former SWATF and Koevoet soldiers that he pledged at a recent meeting to help them gain ‘war veteran’ status.
Kapofi told New Era that the former colonial soldiers “are scratching at a wound that has healed”.
“They were killing instruments of the oppressor and now they want to get paid for killing their own countrymen,” Kapofi said.
Kapofi was responding to allegations by the controversial chairman of the Old South African Soldiers in Namibia Committee, Lukas de Klerk, that government and opposition parties have ingored their members’ wishes to be recognised as war veterans and receive the same benefits as the liberation fighters.
De Klerk also doubles up as a contender for parliament on the ticket of the United People’s Movement (UPM).
Kapofi said he told them at the meeting that “a Swapo-led government will never accept them as war veterans” but did make one concession, which was to “assure them that should they need help in registering for the old age pension, they can approach the relevant authorities”.
De Klerk, in one of his missive statements that he personally brought to New Era, said various efforts to engage government had proved futile and the one meeting they had with Kapofi as secretary to Cabinet did not yield anything except empty promises.
De Klerk is now urging all former SWATF and Koevoet members to vote for UPM as the other opposition parties have done nothing to assist the former soldiers.
De Klerk also questioned the policy of national reconciliation, to which Kapofi countered that it is through the policy of national reconciliation that peace and stability reign in Namibia.
“We have forgiven them and they should not take national reconciliation for granted,” he said and continued that what De Klerk and his association is doing is not “honourable”.