War vets

Government has cancelled plans to build a rehabilitation centre for war veterans at Epalela in the Omusati Region. This is because it is reportedly no longer viable as veterans are "ageing" and becoming "physically frail".The land for the proposed centre was fenced off during the 2014/15 financial year after the Omusati Regional Council donated it to the ministry of veterans affairs.After stalling on the rehab centre for the past 10 years, government has now decided to turn the land into a horticulture project. This change of plan is contained in a ministerial response to a Namibia Sun inquiry. The proceeds from the horticulture project will be used to supplement the veterans fund, it said.“Initially, the facility was established to provide recreational and rehabilitative services to veterans of the national liberation struggle. However, the ministry realised that as the veterans are ageing, they are becoming sickly and physically frail and thus, the proposed previous scope of intervention would not be beneficial to the veterans,” the ministry said.“A decision was then made to change it to an agricultural project, considering its proximity to the Etaka Dam. Under the current scope, the produce will be sold to supplement the veterans fund, which was established to fund programmes and projects for the benefit of veterans. During the 2023/24 financial year, the irrigation system was installed, and 144 citrus fruit trees were planted. The project is at its infancy, but is ongoing, and the prospects are very positive.”No needIn 2014, N$66 million was budgeted for the leisure and rehabilitation facility. The project, which kicked off in the 2014/15 financial year, was aimed at giving registered veterans of the liberation struggle access to leisure activities, palliative care as well as psychosocial and physiotherapy services.A year later, a guardhouse and two chalets were built. There has been no construction activity since.In 2018, Namibian Sun reported that the land had remained idle for about four years. At the time, the ministry indicated that the project was still viable and would continue as planned, despite others - including war veterans - saying there was no need for such a project.kenya@namibiansun.com

War vets

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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War vets

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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