MAPUTA – Maputa villagers in the heart of Bwabwata National Park in the Mukwe constituency have expressed appreciation for the government’s swift move to
bring services to their doorsteps.
These services include the registration for national documents, which is underway.
At the beginning of the month, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa, while addressing a mini-rally in Maputa, called on President Nangolo Mbumba as well as home affairs and immigration minister Albert Kawana to attend to the national document needs of the residents.
In response to Shaningwa’s clarification call, the government moved expeditiously to address this plight, dispatching officials
to Maputa for two weeks to address their issues.
The ongoing exercise ends Friday. “We are grateful for the opportunity given to our people here at Maputa to get national documents. There were challenges in the beginning, but they were ironed out, and our people will now benefit from the fruits of their country,’’ said Mwambwa Marando, the Maputa Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson.
He said his fellow villagers will now get the benefits they deserve.
After registration of their children, pensioners “must now be registered for grants and other benefits, and there is a need for drought relief here, but our people could not benefit due to a lack of documents.
Many of our people (Hambukushu) are suffering outside the neighbouring borders, where they fled during the war. Some managed to get back into the country, but they are not given national documents, saying they are foreigners.
“We want the government to repatriate those are still out there to come back home to their ancestral land.
That is the struggle our people are facing,’’ he said.
Marando, however, expressed hope that government’s swift response is not an election gimmick.
“Some will come and tell us to move, and say this is a park, you don’t belong here. As government, they should all speak with one voice, and not have different plans when it comes to us settling here. Some have
brought us schools, water facilities and electricity, but others are saying we cannot harvest devil’s claws. When the ministry of environment guns down elephants, they exclude us, and do not give us meat,’’ he said.
“Now that we are getting our documents, may all government ministries also bring services to us, and not only some. We are also Namibians,’’ he added.
He continued: “What Swapo secretary general Shaningwa came to say here when she visited us makes us feel some sort of relief, and gives us hope. After the elections, we don’t want to be told that this is not our land, and we should leave.
“We are still fighting for the declaration of this side of the park. This land belongs to Hambukushu ancestors. As we stand now, we are grateful for what the Swapo government did to bring us documents, and we don’t want to be pushed around after elections,’’ said another villager, Thomas Muhembo.
Some villagers who are now poised to receive the much-needed national documents, are elated.
One of them is Lucas Liveve from Maputa, who narrated how life had been difficult without national documents.
“You feel you don’t belong anywhere because everywhere you go, they are asking for documents. I couldn’t even attend school, and I am now 30 years old. Now that I am getting my documents, I will have a sense of belonging as a full Namibian, and I can even use my ID to get some petty jobs for the uneducated folks. In whatever you do, national documents are required,’’ he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Anethe Makore Nchindo.
“We struggled to make ends meet. Without documents, we could not benefit from the government. They could not give us anything because we were not regarded as Namibians. But now, we might get drought relief. I have children in school, and I have now managed to get them documents”.
Meanwhile, for Twarumbere Kapondo (64), receiving national documents had been a mirage until now.
For him, it is a dream come true.
“We are happy. I have grandkids that I take care of now. Now, I will be able to assist them if I get a pension grant. Their parents have gone in search of a living. I am their everything now,” Kapondo said.