The presidential candidate of Swapo, lands minister Hifikepunye Pohamba should do more for the disabled citizens in Namibia when he becomes president, war veterans said. Mr Petrus Julius, a former PLAN fighter, who led a group of some 200 ex-fighters a few years ago from the north to Okahandja, where they were stopped by police, on Wednesday told PLUS that his association of disabled ware veterans want to see more done for these disadvantaged Namibians. The duty to look after the disabled lies with the lands ministry.

"The only centre for the disabled in the north is that of ELCIN at Oniipa, but that is actually to small, it should be enlarged", Mr Julius told PLUS telephonically. He phoned PLUS to make a statement about Minister Pohamba, who is most likely to become the next head of state. Mr Julius, who became blind during his time as PLAN fighter in the liberation struggle, said the other centres for disabled should be re-opened. "When the centres at Onakayale and Engela were closed a few years ago, this has created a big problem for us disabled people," Julius told PLUS.

"We want Minister Pohamba, when he is president, to look at the plight of the disabled. They are without jobs, without land and they loose out on education and development in our country," Julius told PLUS from Eenhana, where he lives.

The war veterans who made their way to Windhoek a few years ago, wanted to see President Nujoma about promises the government had made to them, but he refused. They camped for weeks along the roadside in the bitter cold outside Windhoek on the way to Rehoboth. Only the NDF military base at Luiperd’s Valley helped them by providing meals every day. Members of the public and shop owners also supported the war veterans and gave them blankets, bread, teabags, and washing utensils. They achieved a small breakthrough one day before Heroes’ Day, when their small monthly veteran’s allowance was increased to N$ 500 per month.