Africa-Press – Namibia.
THE Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation has urged relatives of Namibians in Ukraine to provide the ministry with relevant information that will aid with the repatriation process.
The ministry said in a statement that it is monitoring the situation closely and is in consultation with relevant stakeholders, such as the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund, the ministries of basic and higher education, finance, home affairs, and safety and security to ensure the safe repatriation of all nationals. The ministry said most of the Namibian nationals are on their way out of Ukraine.
“As they cross the Ukrainian border at different points the government, through its diplomatic missions in Russia, Germany, and Austria, has engaged the respective governments of Belarus, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to ensure the safe passage of the 114, including 93 students, to their respective territories,” the ministry said.
The ministry further urged Namibians to contact the Austrian, Polish and Romanian embassies of Namibia in those countries for assistance. Meanwhile, students in Ukraine have called out the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) for lying after the party claimed to have assisted 37 students evacuate Ukraine to travel to Poland.
“She was lying and we removed her from the group. She is just trying to find out what we are up to, and if the government is helping us.
“We know she is just doing it for political gain,” one of the Namibian students in Ukraine, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
The student in a voice note said she was referring to an individual known as ‘Natasha’ from the PDM, who contacted the group of stranded students via Whatsapp. She was added to the students’ WhatsApp group, but after some engagement has been removed.
“She started texting us privately, asking where we are, and what we are up to. Later we saw on social media they apparently assisted 37 students. It’s a lie. The PDM must stop lying,” the student said.
According to PDM president McHenry Venaani’s twitter account, the PDM youth league has helped 37 students evacuate Ukraine. “I urge all to join this fundraising exercise for our students in Ukraine. Proud of the PDMYL initiative,” he tweeted.
PDM Youth League United Kingdom (UK) branch representative Natasha Kaangundue, when called for comment yesterday, said the accusations are delaying the evacuation process.
“They should stop wasting time and delaying their journey, and contact the numbers that are provided. It’s that simple,” she said.
Kaangundue said the PDM youth league has collected 980 euros (around N$16 000) in the UK thus far. “We are using the funds to assist with tickets to the UK for those who have passports or emergency travel letters,” she said.
“Can we please just leave politics and put our egos aside and deal with this issue? One Namibia, one nation. People can get credit later when everyone is saved and alive. Can we just try to save these nations?” she asked.
Another student in Ukraine, who also asked to remain anonymous, said the PDM took advantage of the situation. “They haven’t helped any student so far. It’s just now they are trying to be genuine.
“They posted that we are safely accommodated with food. They are lying, they didn’t provide anything.
“Whichever student they are using is because they are privately texting students,” she said. Martha Frans, liaison officer for Namibian students in Ukraine, yesterday said the students are being taken care of by the Namibian government.
“We have students in Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. Everything is being provided for by the government of Namibia.
“We also have officials on the ground assisting students and some doctors, because transportation to the border is around U$500, and it’s costly,” she said.
Frans said no student have so far confirmed receiving money or assistance from the PDM. “I am in contact with the students but the students don’t even know where PDM is located. No students in Ukraine have been helped by them,” she said.
She said some students are still looking for safety as they find their way to the nearest border. In a statement released yesterday, PDM spokesperson Roberto Dirkse said Venaani had a teleconference with the minister of international relations and cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on the issue.
“The conference was necessitated by the fact that a number of Africans experienced racism against them at the borders in pursuit of safety and a way out of Ukraine.
“Venaani was particularly concerned that Namibian citizenry and members of the student populace in Ukraine would be subject to such racial abuse while attempting to evacuate the war zone,” Dirkse said.
He said the minister informed Venaani that the government has approved the departure of two Namibian representatives – one to Poland and another to Romania – and penned a formal communiqué to the government of Poland, asking for assistance in issuing the students with visas.
“The governments of Namibia, Zambia and South Africa have agreed to coordinate the evacuation of their citizens still in Ukraine.
“The honourable Venaani and the PDM as the official opposition remain committed to ensuring the safe passage of the Namibian citizenry who find themselves stranded in the war zone,” said Dirkse.
Ronnie Dempers, the father of one of the Namibian students in Ukraine, on NBC radio yesterday morning expressed his disappointment with the government’s “slow uptake” in getting the students home.
He said it should not be the responsibility of parents to make arrangements to secure the safety of their children, as it was the Namibian government who signed the agreement with the Ukrainian government for the students’ tertiary education.
“How is it possible that the government is still trying to establish where every student is, and that we hear now that some don’t even have travel documents? The wheels are turning too slow for us as parents. We are worried. Our children are in a war zone,” Dempers said.
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