The Former PLAN Combatants Association (FPCA) says that it will never get into a cooperative arrangement of any kind with any group or association of individuals who were at the opposing side of the liberation struggle.
FPCA says in a statement issued by its national executive that it is distancing itself and its members from “the false, unsubstantiated and provocative reports being propagated by some media outlets and disgruntled elements within the Namibian society that former People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatants intend to work with former notorious bloodthirsty killers under the umbrella of ex-Koevoet and ex-SWATF.
“FPCA wishes to unreservedly condemn such misleading pipedreams aimed at hoodwinking public opinion against former PLAN combatants and the SWAPO Party.”
The former struggle combatants state further that “PLAN combatants under the stewardship of FPCA shall never, not now and not in this life time, work together with elements of the oppressive machinery responsible for the merciless massacre, indiscriminate maiming, wholesale incarceration and torture of innocent Namibians during the days of colonialism.
“Notwithstanding the ethos of national reconciliation, we have no inclination of embracing the atrocious crimes committed against the Namibian people by apartheid South Africa and its quislings (collaborators).”
The combatants’ association also says that some opposition parties, some media and disgruntled elements want to cast aspersions and sow seeds of mistrust and confusion among former PLAN combatants and Namibians whose kith and keen were killed in cold blood by ex-Koevoet and ex-SWATF.
“We are aware of the panic that is visiting some opposition parties who fear to lose members in their ranks who were in the fold of PLAN during the liberation struggle.
“This strategy is calculated to dissuade those former combatants who find themselves in the political debris of RDP, IPC, COD, PDM and other political parties not to join their fellow former combatants under FPCA.
“Let it be clear to all and sundry that PLAN combatants voluntarily enlisted their services to fight for freedom and national independence.
“Unlike exKoevoet, ex-SWATF and other hired assassins, former PLAN combatants did not receive a salary for their supreme sacrifices, and did not expect to be paid for their selfless sacrifices to liberate Namibia from the yoke of apartheid colonialism and illegal occupation.
“It thus makes no sense to now expect former PLAN combatants to form an unholy alliance with former national murderers to masquerade in the streets of Namibia hand-in-hand to demand payment of money that we have no clue where it is supposed to come from.
“We were in the trenches and were not privy to any such deals, if ever there have ever been such deals. To date, no one has come up with irrefutable evidence of the claims being made. As disciplined cadres, we will never play to the gallery or be party to such hallucinations.
“In line with our motto Solidarity, Equality, Welfare, we will redouble our efforts to alleviate the welfare of all former PLAN combatants by being self-reliant and engaging the SWAPO Party in the spirit of solidarity and equality of the members of the Party.”
