WINDHOEK- Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Retired Major-General Charles Namoloh, says the only thing former Koevoet soldiers can get from Namibia is prosecution.
Namoloh charged that Koevoet was created as a South African-funded mercenary force.
As such, there is no way those who served in Koevoet and fought against the liberation of the country could be accorded veteran status.
The former soldiers have been marching in recent days to demand recognition as war veterans who, like their pro-independence former Swapo soldiers, must be rewarded for their participation in the war.
There is no ground that could compel government to accord veteran status to former members of the counterinsurgency military unit that committed many atrocities and war crimes during the liberation war.
“How on earth can you accord killers veteran status?” he asked.
“This thing of them claiming they were created to defend the properties and infrastructure of this country is a lie, they were created to kill PLAN (People’s Liberation Army of Namibia) fighters,” he added.
“I was there before they were created and I was there when they were created,” reminisced the retired major-general.
“If they want to be accorded veteran status they should claim it in South Africa, not here,” stressed Namoloh who himself fought against Koevoet and SWATF forces created by the South African occupational regime.
Namoloh says 95 percent of the killings during the Koevoet era were committed by Koevoet members.
“Ordinary Namibians were disappearing. Koevoet also created false guerrillas who were dressed in PLAN clothing pretending to be Swapo members at villages and when they are accepted, they killed villagers and then claim it was Swapo who killed them,” he said.
Namoloh says to make matters worse, most Koevoet members were not of Namibian origins – saying a lot of them were from Angola.
“Go and investigate them. These people are mostly Angolans that’s why they were committing this horrendous crimes because they were not emotionally attached to the people here,” he said.
“We know them, we know their names, some have even run to South Africa,” said Namoloh.
He said people should stop being intimidated by Phil ya Nangoloh, the NamRights Executive Director who is known for speaking in favour of former colonial regime soldiers.
“They must not open old wounds, particularly when we were the ones seeing bodies or remains of our people killed by Koevoet. They must remember that we have forgiven but not forgotten,” Namoloh said.
He appealed to people like ya Nangoloh to stop inciting violence, adding that the peace enjoyed in Namibia today is due to the visonary leadership of Swapo.