The Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi has expressed disappointment over the deplorable living conditions of men and women in uniform in the army.

“The million-dollar question is, are those men and women in uniform happy? I doubt they are because when I visited the army bases, I was disappointed by the conditions under which they live,” Kapofi said during his staff address on Wednesday.

Kapofi particularly referred to the kitchens and sleeping areas, saying the dilapidated conditions are not reflective of the sovereign’s wishes, who provide the money they need to properly ensure that their infrastructure and all the other equipment the uniformed officers require to execute their duties are up to standard.

However, he said, the military personnel are charged with the responsibility of supporting civilians during peacetime, and whenever necessary as they attend to emergency services such as floods similar to the ones currently being experienced in the northern parts of the country.

The men and women in uniform are regularly called on by farmers to assist when they experience wildlife fires.

“Despite not being equipped to extinguish these fires, we have continued to assist using conventional means,” Kapofi said.

The minister concluded by thanking the men and women in uniform for always being ready to react whenever they are called to provide their services.

Source: Namibia News Press Agency