Namibian Exile Kids Association (NEKA) chairperson Benitha Nakaambo expresses shock at the killing of ‘struggle kid’ Frieda Ndatipo, who was shot dead during a confrontation with the police on Wednesday. NEKA was launched in 2008. How is the association doing? NEKA is doing very well. In fact, NEKA is doing so well that we can brag about being the most effective youth organisation in this country in terms of service delivery. What have been the association’s highlights since its inception? Our highlights include finalising the NEKA constitution, hosting our first congress, helping the first and second group of camping kids get employment. We have also managed to get a large group of the currently camping kids into the system. I can honestly tell you that we have employed 958 kids to date since November 2013. This does not include the first and second group whom are all employed. How would you describe NEKA’s relationship with key stakeholders such as government? Since our last public spat, we have managed to create a conducive environment to work with government. It seems that only a few elements within the structures are hindering progress. During that period, we learned that some ministers are occupying positions in which they do not understand what they are supposed to do and that is a problem. I think it is a problem all in all when people don’t understand their mandate or do not have a plan of action on how to implement programmes, that is why you find people waiting for service delivery for such a long time. Sad, but I must say that the accessibility to the office of the Prime Minister has helped in the progress of the employment of our youth. We have had private sector institutions that also opened their doors to us and have managed to take up a number of our members. The issue of skills has been a problem, but sometimes we argue that in our politics many have Standard 6, yet they are heading institutions. Are you satisfied with the pace at which government gives jobs to your members? The Office of the Prime Minster is doing its best, but there are a lot of government institutions that are anti-children of the liberation struggle and refuse to follow instructions. That makes me angry. A certain ministry refused to send their vacancies that could have taken up a lot of vulnerable kids and children of the struggle, but instead, some of those retrogressive, pro-apartheid lovers sit on positions that are supposed to economically emancipate these people. How would you describe the way the exile kids that are camping in Windhoek have been treated by government? To tell you the truth, we engage with a lot of government officials, some are willing and some not, but truth be told, there are lot of people that want to help these kids but are helpless. Those that have the power to decide are the ones giving us a headache because they thrive on the miseries of others, and the continuous embarrassment of Swapo Party. You see Swapo saying we are just like everybody else. Let me give you an example, Ina Maria Shikongo is Commissar Pondo Shikongo’s daughter. Her father was reburied on 26 August 2014. If Tate Pondo had survived the war, he, I would assume, would be a senior government official and able to take care of Ina Maria and Isaak Shikongo. But seeing that he didn’t, they were left to fend for themselves and for life to have mercy on them. Has government treated them well? I guess they can be grateful for their father’s body being brought home, but where they are going to get their daily bread is anybody’s guess. The ones that got jobs were treated well, but the current group is treated badly. We’ve seen the current group hold begging bowls on the street. How is NEKA helping them? NEKA as an association is established to promote the well-being and image of Namibians born or raised in exile during the liberation struggle and to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Namibian liberation struggle through networking, information-sharing, cooperation and lobbying. For us to achieve our mission, our people need to be self-sustainable. So if they decide to demonstrate for the purpose of getting a share of the cake which many others are enjoying why not support the cause? It is a just cause and in the framework of democracy which we subscribe to. So we support them by mediating the employment process and ensuring that what is promised is delivered What does the begging say about the struggle the group faces to survive? At some point we used to tell them not to stand there [in the streets] because apparently we should say that, but NEKA cannot afford to continuously give them food, so it becomes survival of the fittest, you know. Every man for himself and God for us all, I guess. If resources were available to us, we would help these kids as best as we can, on the grounds that their parents sacrificed their own lives for Namibia. The one thing that still disturbs me is the thought of Michael Nafidi who walks the streets of Windhoek eating from dustbins, while the town named after his father makes millions a day. That, my friend, says that we are a big country with a small number of people and lots of resources in the hands of a few capitalist comrades some of whom will be singing songs of which they don’t understand the meaning, this coming weekend [Swapo electoral college]. Is NEKA a member of the National Youth Council yet? No, NEKA is not yet an official member of the National Youth Council even though we have been assisted by the council in so many ways. We are struggling to join right now and it looks like it is going to be a process and a half. But we will overcome that hurdle. I intend to have NEKA registered come hell or high water. What’s NEKA’s take on the killing of Frieda Ndatipo on Wednesday? Disturbing! Extremely disturbing! And most of all, the incident happened a day after August 26, a day when we celebrated our fallen comrades. The killing happened at a place where these kids are supposed to feel most protected. Shameful! Somebody needs to get fired. Seriously. People are angry, people are waiting for a message and I understand. The fact that I stood in front of those kids two weeks ago to tell them of the potential job opportunities coming soon, and that I tried getting hold of [Police Chief] General Sebastian Ndeitunga to tell them not to hurt the kids and inform them of the plan to employ about 300-500 more in a few months and they didn’t come back to us really hurt. Mr Basson, the station commander at the Katutura station, is usually the person who deals with the kids when a riot happens, and he usually informs one of us what is happening in the hope of defusing the group peacefully. Why was the Special Field Force called in? And who made the call? And why specifically on a day after Heroes Day? Very disturbing. How will this incident affect the way you demand jobs from government? This has obviously caused an embarrassment to government, but more so to the Swapo Party which has continued to prepare itself for their electoral college this weekend, while we prepare to bury a child of the struggle. I guess after they have given each other all the new seats in parliament, they will hopefully engage and listen to our call again. What I am more hopeful of is that the National Youth Council has shown interest in joining the cause for youth employment in this country. So maybe we will become more proactive so as to hasten the process of inclusion and employment of young deserving Namibians. Swapo Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba said exile kids are not special. What are your views on his remarks? Personally, I think Swapo needs to come up with something else regarding the “not special or special” definition. The fact of the matter is that we were born in exile whilst he joined it. He made a personal choice to go into exile, while we did not. My ID says I was born in Angola, but my citizenship states Namibia. What are we still going on about? We might not be special, but we are different. We don’t care if we are special or not, all we want is the same treatment as all the other veterans’ kids, including his own kids. Prime Minister Hage Geingob said the group in Windhoek is being used by a third force … Last year NEKA had a problem with government because apparently some middlemen were sitting on letters NEKA was sending to the PM. This caused problems because we allowed middlemen to help solve our problems until both sides got angry. It was because of these middlemen that claims started that there were third parties. But as soon as NEKA and Comrade PM sat down, we realised that the PM was not being properly briefed. We engaged him directly and that resulted in the employment of so many young people born in and outside the country. The same situation is playing out here once again, but there is no third force unless they are within the police force. But again, when last have you heard the police taking responsibility for anything? Do you agree with the PM’s call for all exile kids to return to their base? The issue here is not about wanting to go home, some of them have done that in the past. The problem arises that when these kids are gone home, everybody forgets about their plight. Even war veterans of our country were forgotten until they appeared to demand what’s due to them.