WINDHOEK- The Veterans Board have received a total number of 9476 cases for adjudication of which 964 cases have been adjudicated. The remaining 8512 are still to be considered.
Hilma Nicanor, Veterans’ Affairs department Deputy Minister who motivated the veterans’ budget for the 2019/2020 financial year in the National Council last week said an amount of N$600,000 is requested for the functions of these boards.
The Veterans Board is established as per Section 14 of the Veterans Act, 2008 (Act No. 2 of 2008), whereas the Veterans Appeal Board is established under Section 41 (1) of the same Act.
The Veterans Board’s main objective is to ensure the approval of aspiring veterans and the administration of the Veterans Fund, while the main objective of the Appeal Board is for the hearing of appeals emanating from the decisions or an act of the Veterans Board.
Equally, the Conferment of National Honours Act, 11 (Act No. 11 of 2012), provides for the establishment of the National Honours Advisory Committee to advise the President on the suitability of persons for conferment of National Honours. In this regard, she said an amount of N$100 000 is requested for this activity to cater for administrative functions of the committee.
Under Capital Projects Management, Veterans’ Affairs is allocated a total amount of N$7,517 million for the construction of the Otjozondjupa Veterans Affairs Regional Office and to continue with the development of the Veterans Etaka Recreational Facilities at Onesi Constituency in Omusati Region.
The total budget estimate for the Veterans Welfare Program is N$541,554 million.
Another programme she mentioned is the liberation struggle heritage whose main objective is to ensure that the history of the liberation struggle is preserved and kept alive.
She explained this is done through research and documentation, collection and preservation of materials or artefacts, the identification of sites where acts of the liberation struggle took place, establishment of outdoor museums and the erection of monuments.