Chaos at veterans Trust

• BY MARX ITAMALO

THE death of Nkrumah Mushelenga, the founder and chairperson of the Peter Nanyemba Plan Combatants Veterans Trust – a trust established to advocate for the well-being of former People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), a former military wing of the governing Swapo party, has plunged the trust into quandary and disarray with top executive allegedly entangled in fierce fights in a bid to secure top leadership position, Confidente has learnt.

Mushelenga passed on, on July 27 after collapsing at a local bank in the capital.

He had established the Peter Nanyemba Plan Combatant Veterans Trust (PNPCVT) a few years ago, as a vehicle through which veterans of the liberation struggle can engage the government and the ruling Swapo Party on issues of interest to them such as their monthly allowances and other benefits.

A veteran himself, Mushelenga was respected amongst top government officials and was held in high regards by fellow veterans.

At the time of his death, he had petitioned government on the payout of N$ 400 000 that was allegedly supposed to be given to every veteran of the liberation struggle upon their retirement from government service.

The payout is said to have been approved by cabinet during the reign of former president Hifikepunye Pohamba (cabinet resolution No. 3/25.03.14/004). He had also recommended the veterans’ monthly allowance to be increased to N$ 10 000 across the board.

However, some veterans now fear that what Mushelenga was fighting for might not see the light of the day due to alleged infighting within the hierarchy of the Trust.

“There is a lot of things happening in the Trust which some of us are not happy about. People have now deviated from the original fight for the well-being of veterans and their dependents and now are fighting to replace Nkrumah,” a member of the Trust told Confidente this week.

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