Exile kids not there to suck govt dry - Neka
The Namibian Exile Kids Association (Neka) says children of the liberation struggle should not be viewed as an entitled group “that only wants to suck government dry”.
Newly-elected president Kadiva Hamutumwa stressed that it is important for the Namibian public to understand that ‘exile kids’ want to create generational wealth through their own hard work by venturing into profitable commercial activities.
She said this while appearing on The Evening Review on Tuesday, adding that they want to get a stake in the economy in order to contribute to the country’s economic progress.
“If you look at the 1989 manifesto of the Swapo Party, it really speaks to taking care of dependents of the veterans who fought in the war. So, our cry to the government that it needs to take care of us is not a cry of ill intent, but because our elders - when they returned - realised that they need to take care of the children of these people who fought.
“Neka will remain until the promises to take care of exile children are taken care of,” she added.
“What we want to do is to make sure that we develop business opportunities that will actually grow us. We want to create generational wealth for the liberation struggle icons and their dependents. They went out in exile to fight and liberate the country. As a country, we are not all reaping the benefits of independence.”
Rebrand in the works
Hamutumwa highlighted that the high unemployment rate among the association’s members should be addressed because “Neka’s members are still camping, 30 years after independence”, adding that drug and substance abuse is rife.
Meanwhile, a rebrand may be in the works for the association, which will include adopting a new name “because Neka no longer speaks to our identity since we are no longer children”, she noted.
“Neka is also aware that we have veterans who fought in the country and their children born here and we here as a leadership decided that we want to inculcate in our structures that we are all one. When we speak for children of the liberation struggle, we also speak for children in the country as well,” she said.
On a High Court ruling in 2021 that overturned a Cabinet resolution to reserve certain jobs in the public service for children of the liberation struggle, Hamutumwa said “it was a pity that we were not party to that case”.
Newly-elected president Kadiva Hamutumwa stressed that it is important for the Namibian public to understand that ‘exile kids’ want to create generational wealth through their own hard work by venturing into profitable commercial activities.
She said this while appearing on The Evening Review on Tuesday, adding that they want to get a stake in the economy in order to contribute to the country’s economic progress.
“If you look at the 1989 manifesto of the Swapo Party, it really speaks to taking care of dependents of the veterans who fought in the war. So, our cry to the government that it needs to take care of us is not a cry of ill intent, but because our elders - when they returned - realised that they need to take care of the children of these people who fought.
“Neka will remain until the promises to take care of exile children are taken care of,” she added.
“What we want to do is to make sure that we develop business opportunities that will actually grow us. We want to create generational wealth for the liberation struggle icons and their dependents. They went out in exile to fight and liberate the country. As a country, we are not all reaping the benefits of independence.”
Rebrand in the works
Hamutumwa highlighted that the high unemployment rate among the association’s members should be addressed because “Neka’s members are still camping, 30 years after independence”, adding that drug and substance abuse is rife.
Meanwhile, a rebrand may be in the works for the association, which will include adopting a new name “because Neka no longer speaks to our identity since we are no longer children”, she noted.
“Neka is also aware that we have veterans who fought in the country and their children born here and we here as a leadership decided that we want to inculcate in our structures that we are all one. When we speak for children of the liberation struggle, we also speak for children in the country as well,” she said.
On a High Court ruling in 2021 that overturned a Cabinet resolution to reserve certain jobs in the public service for children of the liberation struggle, Hamutumwa said “it was a pity that we were not party to that case”.
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Namibian Sun
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