A veteran of the liberation struggle, Mathew Shivute, from Amaupa Village in the Omusati Region, has appealed to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs to speed up the payment of their projects.

Shivute argued that some of the veterans are ageing and want to benefit from the project during their lifetime.

Well known as Mzee, Shivute retired about seven years ago as an operations manager for state security.

Shivute spent 12 years in exile, and upon Namibia's independence, he secured a job at State House.

He applied to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs to fund his poultry project 12 years ago but claims that he has never received anything since.

"Last year I travelled to Windhoek to do a follow-up on my money. I also wrote a letter to Minister Kapofi requesting the same thing, but to no avail. This year I was also in Windhoek to ask how far they have come with my money, but I have gotten nothing up to now. We liberated this country, and we should get what is entitled to us."

The Public Relations Officer at the Veterans Affairs Ministry, Edson Haufiku, says in 2021 Cabinet took a decision that all unfunded projects of veterans should be paid in cash of N$170,000.

Haufiku explained that the government took the decision after some veterans complained that they wanted money instead of projects because they were too old to run projects and businesses.

The ministry has appealed to all veterans on the waiting list to be patient, adding that the process relies on the availability of funds.

He explained that project funding was much faster than cash, as the money was directly paid into the particular veteran's account.