National war veterans to attend Heroes’ Day event

TWENTY-EIGHT recognised war veterans from different regions across the country will this year attend the national commemoration of Heroes’ Day on 26 August at Otjiwarongo.

Preparations for the 2019 Heroes’ Day commemorations are underway at Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa region.

Senior community liaison officer at the veterans’ affairs ministry Rosalia Alweendo on Monday told Nampa that the 28 war veterans have confirmed they will attend the event.

“Our aim is to see to it that on an annual basis, the country’s war veterans falling into different categories can attend these national events like Heroes’ Day, Cassinga Day or Independence Day, amongst others,” she said.

Alweendo revealed that two war veterans from each region are invited to attend the event at the expense of the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.

She said a detailed proposal of costs for their transport and accommodation in relation to the event at Otjiwarongo have already been submitted to head office for consideration.

So far, approximately 40 000 war veterans have been registered countrywide in different categories, of whom about 2 000 are from Otjozondjupa.

Heroes’ Day is an annual commemoration of the first battle of the liberation struggle which took place at Omugulugwombashe in the Omusati region on 26 August 1966, when apartheid South African soldiers attacked the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia fighters at their base.

This battle officially marked the start of the armed struggle.

The Kavango West region was the host of the national event at Nkurenkuru last year. – Nampa