By William Mbangula Onatshiku Africa Freedom Day, which was celebrated last Friday, May 25, marked one of the happiest moments for a former Robben Island prisoner. He was given one prestigious asset – a decent house. As part of the day’s celebrations and in fulfilment of the promises made by government to look after war veterans and victims of colonial brutality, Gaus Iipinge Shikomba last Friday officially received a house at his home village of Onatshiku. The occasion was launched by the Governor of Oshana, Clemens Kashuupulwa. The two-bedroomed house with a spacious sitting room and kitchen is well equipped with a solar power system, shower and sewerage facilities. It was constructed by the Namibia Housing Enterprise (NHE) at a cost of N$120ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 as part of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development’s housing programme for war veterans. Two more beneficiaries in Oshana Region are to receive their houses soon. They are Joseph Ipangelwa from Emono and Nathanael Homateni from Oshakati. Both were Robben Island political prisoners. The hand-over of houses to the survivors of the-then colonial system on Africa Freedom Day came only a few days before the envisaged demonstration (next Monday, June 4) of some ex-combatants who are demanding cash payments and other benefits. In an interview with New Era, Governor Kashuupulwa appealed to the war veterans and other survivors of colonial exploitation and oppression who qualify for assistance, to be patient because the government is working very hard to address their plight. Asked about the intended demonstration by some of the war veterans, Kashuupulwa said this was not necessary because the government has already started addressing the matter by providing favourable incentives to war veterans, such as livestock for farming, resettlement for the landless, housing schemes, pension payouts and other benefits. Kashuupulwa noted: “I feel it is wrong for the war veterans to continue making unreasonable demands such as huge amounts of cash payments as compensation because this would be unfair to others who have lost their lives in the struggle. We have many poor families who have lost their relatives in the war of liberation. If the survivors of the war are making unreasonable and unrealistic demands, where are we going to end?” New Era was informed that most of the beneficiaries in the housing scheme are those who are unemployed and the elderly. Former Robben Island prisoner, Shikomba, is one of those vulnerable and poor who have met the requirements because he has been unemployed since 1991. He last worked for the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) as the Logistics Officer of the Repatriation and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR) Committee which dealt with former exiles and internally displaced people during the transitional period. Born on January 27, 1935 at Onatshiku village in Okatana constituency, Shikomba got into politics in 1958 when he first met Andimba Toivo ya Toivo at Ondangwa where he was a political organizer of the-then Ovambo People’s Congress (OPC) and Ovambo People’s Organization (OPO), which were later transformed into the South-West Africa People’s Organization (Swapo) on April 19, 1960. Since that time, he told New Era, politics has become part of his life. He believes that politicians are needed both in times of war and peace. As a result, Shikomba made a bold decision on February 23, 1966 when he was recalled from Walvis Bay to become an underground organizer of Swapo mainly responsible for the recruitment of trainees as guerrilla fighters. When he became a mobilizer in and around his village, a tragic incident happened to one of his trusted comrades, Leo Shoopala. He narrated that one of the sad days of his political career was the March 11, 1966. As part of the group of political mobilizers at Uukwangula village in Oshana Region, they decided to meet the traditional leaders of Uukwambi headed by a certain Jackey Ashipala. He recalls: “We were three of us: Leo Shoopala, Fidelis Laban and myself when the traditional leaders opened fire on us because, quite unwittingly, we went to their house to inquire about the delayed scheduled meeting at the seat of the traditional authority. As soon as we entered the homestead of Jacky Ashipala, they opened fire, killing Shoopala on the spot and seriously wounding Laban. I escaped unharmed.” After losing one of their comrades, Shikomba and others did not give in to the manipulation and intimidation of the colonial masters and their supporters. The recruitment drive for guerrilla fighters and political mobilization of the ordinary people went ahead. When the first clash of the Swapo combatants and South African colonial forces took place at Omugulugwombashe village in Omusati Region on August 26,1966, Shikomba was one of the first people to be hunted down by the colonial occupiers. They were regarded as agitators. He went underground, only to be caught two years later after he had carried out many attacks on enemy installations, including the well-known Oshikango incident on September 27, 1966. Upon being arrested at Iikango village (Omusati Region), he was manhandled, besides being shot seven times in the legs. He was also severely beaten with a rifle butt which left him with a permanent scar on the head. Some of the wounds in his left leg necessitated a skin transplant. After his arrest on January 27, 1968 – incidentally, that was his birthday – he was tried in Tshwane (then Pretoria) and sentenced to life imprisonment together with some of his comrades. He was only released from prison on May 11, 1984 after spending close to 15 years in jail. Looking back on the many years of suffering, Shikomba is not a bitter man, neither does he want to engage in mudslinging against his Party or the government by making demands for cash payments and other benefits. After all, he noted, the so-called Ex-Combatant Committee is very discriminatory in the sense that it is not all-inclusive of all freedom fighters such as the prisoners of war. The Committee has only recognized – and fighting for – those who were in exile. Shikomba believes that he joined the struggle as a volunteer for the liberation of his mother. He could have perished like many others such as his close comrades like Leo Shoopala and others. Shikomba noted that he was not fighting for himself but for future generations, hence it does not make sense for him to demand unnecessary recognition. Married to Reverend Wilhelmine Mpingana of the Elcin Church on April 6, 1985, he has a 21-year-old daughter, Ndilipondina elago Judith, who is an information and communication technology student at the Polytechnic of Namibia. Some of the accolades given him include the Community Care award in recognition for the time spent on Robben Island and his outstanding contribution towards Namibia’s struggle for freedom and independence. It was bestowed on him by the Father of the Namibian Nation and Founding President of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma, on July 10, 2004. This was followed by another award on April 21, 2005 by the first president of a non-racial South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who was a fellow prisoner at Robben Island. The award recognized his selfless contribution to the struggle for democracy. Yet another award, the Omugulugwombashe medal for bravery and commitment to the liberation struggle, was awarded him on Heroes Day, August 26, 2005 by Former President Nujoma in Windhoek.