Defence minister Frans Kapofi has said soldiers are “special” while continuing to defend the decision to force all Namibia Defence Force (NDF) soldiers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kapofi was responding to questions on Friday during the 35th public briefing by government on its plan to curb the further spread of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 3 530 lives so far.

Kapofi’s response comes a day after the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement threatened to drag the NDF to court over its decision to impose mandatory vaccinations on soldiers.

On 29 September, Chief of the Defence Force Martin Pinehas announced that: “In terms of the provisions of Section 81 of the Defence Act, 2002, (Act 1 of 2002), I hereby invoke the provisions as contained therein and order for compulsory immunization of all members of the Namibian Defence Force.”

AR did not take this decision kindly.

“The above means an individual member of the NDF is stripped of their respective control over their bodies. It means that being a member of NDF, you no longer have a say over your God-given body, in fact, it appears that it is now being treated like any other object and property of NDF, like the machine guns and war vehicles,” AR’s head of legal affairs Maitjituavi Kavetu wrote to Kapofi.

He went on, threatening that: “In light of the above, we hold strong conviction that the impugned section 81 of the Defence Act cannot survive the test of constitutionality upon a challenge brought before court. As a result, we seek an urgent undertaking that the order issued in terms of section 81 of the Defence Act shall urgently be withdrawn, alternatively changed to make vaccinations voluntary, failure which, we will be forced to approach the courts to set it aside in consultation with the office of the Ombudsman.”

But Kapofi remains resolute.

He said “real soldiers” will comply with the directive and get their jab, adding that each soldier must protect the next soldier.

“Soldier are not like me and you. They are the only group that live in barracks… they are the only group that is taken care of by the State,” he said, noting that soldiers are always on standby and can be dispatched on any mission, local or abroad.

As such, he added, soldiers must be ready to be sent anywhere, which sometimes requires vaccination against COVID-19.

“This is not punishment, but to look after their welfare,” Kapofi stressed.

Kapofi, a former soldier, cautioned against politicising COVID-19 vaccinations.

“People have the courage to incite soldiers. Those [being incited] are not real soldiers. I know what it means to be a soldier,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency