Africa-Press – Namibia. MINISTER of defence and veterans affairs Frans Kapofi says his ministry last year made cash payments to 559 war veterans.
He said this while addressing ministerial staff in Windhoek on Wednesday.
Kapofi said 90 out of these 559 war veterans are 90 years old or older.
Some 54 are between the ages of 80 and 89, while 34 ex-combatants are between the ages of 70 and 79.
The rest are between the ages of 50 and 69.
The minister said the veterans who have been paid are those who have applied for projects.
“Most of them are at an advanced age. We need to ensure that we attend to and try to resolve their issues on time, because they may not have much time left to be with us,” the minister said.
Kapofi said the process of paying war veterans is running smoothly, despite budget constraints which compel the ministry to pay a few veterans at a given time.
The minister urged officials working with veterans’ issues to be empathetic when dealing with them, since they have helped to ensure the freedom of Namibians.
He said on numerous occasions the ministry receives visits, letters and calls from war veterans complaining about the way officials receive them.
“This is due to a lack of empathy we seem to show them when dealing with their issues,” he said.
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