Ongwediva
About 30 families who live at the Grootfontein Military Base were left homeless after the accommodation hall in which they lived was gutted by fire last week Wednesday.
Inside sources said all their belongings, identification documents and food had been destroyed in the hall, which was sub-divided into smaller living compartments.
A senior official at the base, colonel by rank – who refused to give this reporter their full name – confirmed that indeed there was a fire. Fortunately no lives were lost. “There was only property loss,” the colonel said. The affected families have been camping outside since the fire.
“All we are left with are the clothes we were wearing that day. We are now sleeping outside, although some people have bought themselves Chinese tents to shield them from the weather,” one of the people made destitute by the fire said.
Several families also expressed dismay at the manner in which management at Grootfontein Military Base dealt with the issue. Some allege that their superiors have been refusing to release them from duty to go and renew their national identification documents.
While some were granted time off to renew their documents on Tuesday, they complained they were only given a very short period in which to do so. “When are we going to get new national documents if we are not being given permission to do so?” they asked.
The colonel said the army headquarters at Grootfontein houses different units and asked those who were refused permission to take the matter up with their unit commanders.
The families are also upset with the ministry, with some saying it has not come to their rescue since the incident last week. They said following the fire in the hall, they were only assisted with one bag of maize from a certain councillor.
The military’s public relations office could not be reached for comment and no response was forthcoming after questions were faxed to them.