Allexer Namundjembo
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has accused minister of defence and veterans affairs Frans Kapofi of sidestepping concerns over protesting liberation struggle veterans, saying he misrepresented a parliamentary question that called for direct intervention rather than an explanation of veterans’ benefits.
IPC shadow minister of defence and veterans affairs Aloisius Kangulu told the Windhoek Observer on Sunday that his urgent oral question in the National Assembly last week was intended to urge Kapofi to personally engage veterans who have been camping outside the Swapo Party headquarters in Windhoek and help facilitate a resolution to their grievances.
“I wish to clarify that his response was, in my view, misdirected, misplaced, and potentially misleading,” Kangulu said.
His remarks follow Kapofi’s response in Parliament last week, in which the minister said the veterans continued to receive all benefits due to them under the law and maintained that their protest was not directed at the veterans ministry or the government.
Kangulu, however, said the minister had misunderstood the purpose of his question.
“At no point did I dispute that they are entitled to, or are receiving, those benefits. However, receiving statutory benefits does not erase their demand for justice, dignity, and the opportunity to be heard,” he said.
According to Kangulu, his question centred on why Kapofi had not personally visited the veterans, many of whom have been living in tents at the Swapo headquarters, despite harsh winter conditions.
He said he wanted the minister to “familiarise himself with the real suffering of his own comrades” and engage them directly in search of an amicable solution.
“The Act clearly mandates the minister to administer the Act and to initiate, formulate, and develop policies on all matters relating to veterans’ affairs, including matters incidental or connected thereto,” Kangulu said, referring to the Veterans Act.
He added that he had been interrupted by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila before he could fully motivate his question.
He said his concern was why the minister appeared to be ignoring the veterans’ plight instead of bringing together all relevant stakeholders to resolve the matter.
The IPC lawmaker said the veterans had described their current living conditions as being worse than during the liberation struggle.
“It is deeply unfortunate that they now face such hardship in the very country they sacrificed so much to liberate,” he said.
Despite criticising Kapofi’s response, Kangulu said he believed the minister still had an opportunity to intervene.
“He should personally visit the veterans, engage them, and intervene so that this painful situation is addressed,” Kangulu said, adding that he was prepared to accompany the minister during such a visit.
He said the veterans deserved to feel valued and respected for the sacrifices they made to secure Namibia’s independence.
“These veterans deserve to feel valued, recognised, and respected in the country for which they sacrificed so much,” he said.
Kangulu warned that ignoring the veterans’ concerns would not make them disappear.
“They should never be made to feel that they are being ignored or that their disappearance through death would somehow solve the problem. It will not, as their children and future generations will continue demanding the justice they believe is owed to their parents,” he said.
The group of veterans and former refugees has been camping outside the Swapo Party national headquarters since late 2025, demanding compensation they claim is linked to United Nations repatriation funding provided during Namibia’s 1989 repatriation process, as well as land, pensions, and broader socio-economic support.
The Swapo Party has denied ever receiving or withholding any UN funds intended for returnees.
The protest has drawn national attention, prompting engagements by Swapo Party leaders, United Nations representatives, and President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Earlier this year, the High Court struck the ruling party’s application to evict the group from the area from the court roll, allowing the protest to continue.
Despite these interventions, the veterans remain at the site, insisting they will not leave until their grievances are addressed.
