Allexer Namundjembo
A standoff between the government and a group of liberation struggle veterans camping outside Swapo Party headquarters has drawn fresh attention, with defence and veterans affairs minister Frans Kapofi saying his ministry has fulfilled its responsibilities.
Kapofi said the veterans’ grievances are not directed at his ministry but at the United Nations.
“They are citing the UN in their demands,” he said.
He added that the group is demanding answers from the UN, not from the ministry.
“We are trying to read what the law is saying because it is in the law,” he said.
Kapofi said he remains available to meet the group whenever necessary.
His remarks came after Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Allosius Kangulu questioned him in Parliament on Tuesday about whether the ministry has plans to address the concerns of the veterans.
The group, members of the Former Refugees Repatriation Association of Namibia (FRRAN), have been camping outside Swapo headquarters in Windhoek since October 2025.
They say they were repatriated from exile in 1989 through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) programme and were promised funds, resettlement and rehabilitation support that was never implemented.
They are demanding what they call the immediate release of funds and benefits promised more than three decades ago.
They also want a letter from the UN outlining the terms of their repatriation, rehabilitation and resettlement.
Swapo’s lawyers previously issued the group with a formal eviction notice, giving them 24 hours to vacate the premises or face urgent High Court action.
The letter stated that their continued presence at the headquarters is unlawful and that their grievances have been addressed before, including during meetings with UN representatives.
The association has refused to leave.
FRRAN member Erastus Wilhem said the High Court letter that is being referred to is not a threat because “we did not request the High Court but came to our leaders to discuss the problems at hand.”
The group is also raising concerns about what it calls unequal treatment in veterans’ allowances. They want a standard grant for all liberation struggle veterans, regardless of the categories set out in the Veterans Act.
Last year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs responded to a petition from the group and recommended that the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs review monthly subventions and welfare grants.
The veterans are now calling for direct engagement with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to resolve the matter.
A month ago, UN resident coordinator to Namibia Hopolang Phororo said the UN provided assistance for the voluntary repatriation of former exiles in 1989 and has listened to the concerns raised by the group’s representatives. He said the repatriation chapter closed three decades ago.
The UN stated that any new consideration of the return does not fall within its mandate. It also said claims regarding unimplemented “resettlement” and “rehabilitation” components under UN Security Council Resolution 435 (1978) are unclear when assessed against UNHCR’s mandate and definitions.
UNHCR said that the 1989 repatriation was voluntary, that donor funds were fully used and accounted for, and that no earmarked funds were retained. It said responsibility for rehabilitation rests with the government of the country of origin.
