Setting the Context.

The issue of the children of Namibia’s liberation Struggle (CLS) is one that is very divisive and a debate in which many and varied opinions exist. Certainly the perceived arrogance of the CLS has not helped the case, but neither should the unique historical context out of which my generation was born be ignored.

In this highly emotive debate contextualising is imperative, allow me therefore to state categorically that the Children of the liberation struggle include but is not limited to  all those young people who are under the age of 35 who were born or raised outside Namibia as a result of the war for independence, they also include youth who have lost one or both parents as a result of the war and or any youth whose personal and psycho social development has been stunted or negatively affected as a direct result of the Namibian people’s war against colonial oppression.

Thus, the definition of children of the liberation struggle includes both those youth who were born and raised in and outside of Namibia, any bias towards either is unjustified and prejudicial. The question then is whether such youth deserve special consideration in the allocation of social services? For which my answer is a categorical yes.

CLS in Namibia today.

The Namibian war of liberation according to Colin Leys and Susan Brown (2005) experienced a phenomena not experienced in other struggles’ of liberation in Africa. This phenomenon is popularly referred to as the 1974 “Exodus” in which it is estimated that up to 6, 000 (ibid) young men and woman especially from northern Namibia crossed the northern frontier to join the armed struggle. These young man and woman include amongst many other Maj Gen Martin Shali, Pendukeni Ivula Ithana, Maj Gen Charles Namoloh, Hon Joel Kaapanda and many others. Many other young people from the south of the “redline” also found their way into exile, These Included AU Commissioner Bience Gawanas, Maj Gen James Tjivikua, Mihe “Mistake’ Goamab amongst thousands of others.

For the thousands that left Namibia, perhaps thousands more youths remained in Namibia and decided to wage the war of liberation from within, such young people included amongst hundreds of thousands of others, my parents, who after being expelled from the University of Western Cape in 1976/7 returned to Namibia, and continued with their activism along with them, The Late Dan Tjongarero, Hon Immanuel Ngatjizeko, Hon Alpheus Naruseb, Paul Vleermuis, Hon Ben Ulenga, Hon Jerry Ekandjo, Bob Kandetu, Hon Bernard Esau, Daniel Kamho, Hon Alpheus Muheua, Bishop Kameeta, Hon Marco Hausiku, the Late Hon Haingura and many others chose to do so from within .

It is the offspring of the above set of groups, that are the Children of the Liberation Struggle were borne from, our parents all of them white and black, north of the red line and south of it, businessman, ordinary workers, man, woman, leaders or ordinary supporters of the liberation struggle, it is us, that are the much talked about CLS, it is our common heritage that belongs to all of my generation.

It is for the most part, such incidences as above, that set the stage for the children of the liberation struggle today. Whilst I admit, that apart from intermittent incidences of direct insecurity, fear and injustice, I had for the most part a well adjusted working class Christian upbringing. My parents I must admit shielded my sister and I, very well from the harassment and violence they faced on a daily basis for their involvement in the SWAPO Party and labour movement. Accept for amongst other one incident related to my father’s detention without trial, along with Anton Lubowski and Hendrik Witbooi in the late 1980’s, I cannot recall many other incidences of heightened hysteria In my immediate family circumstance.

The war had a much more devastating effect for many other youths and their families, in some cases families where split by detentions, death, separation and assignments related directly to the struggle for liberation. I have friends in this regard whom have never seen one or both of their parents, I have friends who were not in exile but whose parent(s) never made it back alive from exile. Whilst there are many children born and raised during the liberation who have grown to be successful and well adjusted young man and woman, many other have not had such luck and have been left their own devices.

Again, while there may have been some programs to cater for the reintegration of youth into the schools and family setup, there are also many another instances where support in respect to children of liberation struggle was inadequate and out of reach.

Again, while SWAPO, the United Nations, frontline states, the international community and institution like CCN deserve much praise for their efforts to shield children from the chilling effects of the war for liberation. The legacy of children of the liberation struggle that we have inherited today is clearly testimony that gapping holes in many such interventions have resulted in today’s challenges. Perhaps the sheer volume of displaced, injured, killed and effected Namibians was just too great .The Psycho social support void, has left us with this gapping legacy in our struggle for youth development today. While children of liberation struggle are not more “special” than other youth in Namibia today, they certainly have special circumstances that if left undressed will continue to disadvantage them and their offspring socially, economically and emotionally.

For example just as black children are no more special than white children, or girls no more special than boys, the special and different circumstances of the former require dedicated interventions in order to mitigate the disproportionate economic and social outcomes that arise from their gender or racial characteristics, similarly while Children of the liberation Struggle are no more special than say Free borns ,it is necessary that the state and society in its social and economic discourse underscores the special circumstances of my generation in addressing the problems of the time.

Many CLS have claimed that they have been unable to gain jobs and access to basic services because they do not have any identity documents, many more have said that they struggle to adjust socially, economically and emotionally, as a direct result of the war. I am sure in hindsight if we knew then, what we know today, we would have done much more to change this picture.  

While some research has been done, particularly in respect to children raised in the former GDR, a large research void still exist in determining the impact of the war on children that grew up during that time and on the inadequacy of support programs for such children during and after the retreat of occupationist forces.

Conclusion

The reality is the deeper we became entrenched in the issues ,challenges and opportunities of post independence, the bigger the void between the nations liberation era children and national development became.

It is regrettable that the understanding of the context and issues around Children of the liberation Struggle is caught up in vexatious innuendo by some, which has caused unnecessary mistrust and deviation of the predominant issue. CLS are inclusive of both those youth born and raised inside and outside Namibia during the time of the liberation struggle, any other assertion, intent or interpretation to the contrary should be regarded are mischievous at best and destabilising at worst.