WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA
A joint programme between the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs and the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) to provide psychological counselling to veterans of the liberation struggle is progressing at a snail's pace.
Following the successful completion of the 2012 pilot study in the Khomas Region, few people traumatised by the war have made use of the service.
The programme was initially established to counsel former People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatants but was broadened to accommodate everyone affected by the war.
Only 18 of the 30 000 registered war veterans are receiving counselling, says veterans' affairs permanent secretary William Amagulu.
He said due to the slow pace of the programme, the ministry has since established a referral system where veterans are directed to organisations and ministries providing counselling services at regional offices.
Amagulu added that counselling of war veterans has been a challenging task, as they do not all have the same problems.
Some of the common problems that counselling can help with are alcohol and drug abuse, marital problems, anger, fear and anxiety and depression.
Amagulu said most of those who need counselling were on the battlefront and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The war veterans lived in bushes. They fought daily and had to kill. They buried their fellow colleagues and this is the life they lived during the struggle era, but one must also understand that people living in the country were harassed and arrested and many isolated incommunicado.
So the traumas are not the same. Those who were physically involved now literally go wild at the sight of blood.
When they came back into society, they failed to adjust as they were used to a life of being commanded; even in their homes they do not know how to communicate with their families, said Amagulu.
Amagulu said the ministry will visit the regions to identify those who need counselling and then refer them to the necessary institutions.
There after the ministry will just continue to monitor the progress and improvement of the veterans under counselling by visiting the intuitions and organisations for the reports.