ONGWEDIVA – The chairperson of the Namibian War Veterans Trust (Namvet), Jabulani Ndeunyema, has dismissed allegations that Namvet members have been bleeding the organisation’s coffers.
Sources in the association that represents former members of the notorious Koevoet and SWATF have accused Ndeunyema and his cronies of misappropriating about N$100 000 from the coffers of Namvet.
Individuals allegedly spent the money, which was aimed at supporting its party members, without notifying the other members of the group.
Tension has reached boiling point within the organisation, with some members threatening to launch a new organisation by April 1. However, those within the organisation’s top leadership have denounced the allegations.
“I don’t know the story but I also just read it in the newspaper; it is a false story. You know people like to spread rumours around, especially in newspapers,” remarked Namvet’s representative in Omusati and Oshana regions Linus Tobias, who dismissed the claims. Ndeunyema also said the allegations levelled against some of the members are politically motivated to have Namvet members distance themselves from the only organisation that represents their interests.
In addition, Ndeunyema stated that the only money he knows was misappropriated is the N$75 000 that the former chairperson of Namvet Jan Jaars took to South Africa.
Ndeunyema did not dwell much on the N$75 000, but he did confirm the matter was handed over to their lawyer some two years back.
He further dismissed allegations that Namvet had lied to the DTA to which it is affiliated that it has 36 000 members.
“How can we have 36 000 members, from where? We did not have such figures even during the colonial era. Back then we only had 22 000 members,” he said.
Currently, the organisation says it has 7 800 members the majority of them in Opuwo and the northern regions.
However, the chairperson also told New Era the organisation has started receiving new members from Kavango, Zambezi as well as from the south.
According to Ndeunyema, the story that people from Rundu and Oshana are distancing themselves from the organisation is also not true. He said those are just rumours and fabricated stories because his organisation continues to sign up new members.
He said his organisation has money; however it is used sparingly because it does not have any other sources of funding. He said the money collected from member registration is purely used for administration.
“I sacrificed to lobby for support; I travelled around Aus being accommodated in people’s homes and even feeding on kapana,” said Ndeunyema.