A quest for better living conditions is all but a dream for an elderly man living at Kalkfeld Settlement.

Despite having participated in political activities during the liberation struggle, his applications to be recognised as a war veteran have been denied since 2008.

84-year-old Johannes Makata spoke to nbc saying he is living in poverty and that, despite getting a monthly pension from the government, he cannot sustain his family from it.

Makata narrated that he was detained and tortured several times on charges of incitement and served an eight-year sentence under a terrorism charge in a South African prison facility. 

Still, with a sharp and vivid memory, Makata remembers being released in 1981, after which he returned and took up odd jobs as a farm worker between Okahandja, Hochfeld, and Tsumeb. 

Makata, a father of two, never joined the Swapo Plan fighters but says he has been part of the organisation since the 1970s in Windhoek.

"Today I feel and I can see. Some of those people who were awarded veteran status did not suffer like I did, but they were accorded the status and money. I, who suffered so much until today, have not received anything to that effect. It looks like I wasted my life, but I am happy the country is free. When it comes to life, I am living a harsh life. Look at how I look, but anyway, will I continue to live the way I am, even before I die? In death, I will maybe feel better as I am scarified for the Namibian cause."

He reflects on the wish of the late president, Dr. Hage Geingob, who said late in 2023 that he looked forward to seeing the pension grant improved to at least N$2000.

"They are saying our pensions are enough to buy food. But look at me, I don't drink or smoke, and as I am sitting here, I don't have a cent. All I have is a 20-kilo maize meal I buy for 240 dollars, and I have chickens and ducks to supplement. I cannot afford luxury items. I have a grandchild I am caring for, but until now, the school fees have been outstanding."

Makata vowed to continue appealing to be recognised as a war veteran.

Contacted for comment, Otjiwarongo Constituency Councillor Marlene Mbakera says she was aware of the three elderly pensioners from Kalkfeld, saying one was recognised as such, while another died last year before she could respond to him.

In Makata's case, Mbakera said she intervened but says the response from the veterans' office was that there was no budget for new beneficiaries.

Mbakera vowed to revisit the issue in time.