Staff Reporter
THE Sisa Namandje Foundation has announced Comrade Anna Kaunawoye Mekondjo Thomas as the latest beneficiary of its Injured But Not Fallen Ex-PLAN Combatants Project, a 24-month initiative that provides financial support to seriously injured veterans of Namibia’s liberation struggle.
The programme, which commenced in May 2025, has now entered its thirteenth month and has so far benefited more than 20 former PLAN combatants who continue to live with permanent injuries sustained during the war for Namibia’s independence.
As part of the initiative, each beneficiary receives a once-off payment of N$10,000 as a token of appreciation for their sacrifices and contribution to the liberation struggle.
Video: Sisa Namandje Foundation
Thomas, the beneficiary for May 2026, was born on 1 January 1964 at Onamutayi in northern Namibia and currently resides at Opepela Village in the Oshikunde Constituency of the Ohangwena Region.
She left Namibia in 1983 to join the liberation struggle and became a member of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), SWAPO’s military wing.
According to the Foundation, Thomas sustained serious injuries on 24 April 1984 when a group of approximately 60 PLAN combatants was ambushed by South African and UNITA forces between Cuvelai and Chamutete in Huila Province, southern Angola.
Despite being severely wounded during the attack, she was successfully evacuated from the combat area and received life-saving medical treatment.
Thomas returned to Namibia in 1989. However, the injuries she sustained during the war prevented her from securing employment after independence.
The Foundation noted that she remains grateful for the monthly veterans’ benefits provided by the government through the Ministry responsible for veterans’ affairs.
She received the N$10,000 support payment from the Sisa Namandje Foundation on 2 June 2026.
The Foundation said nominations for the June 2026 beneficiary are now open through the NawaZone platform.
The Injured But Not Fallen Ex-PLAN Combatants Project was established to recognise and support former liberation fighters who suffered severe injuries during the struggle but survived and continue to live with the physical consequences of the war.
