The Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba said the submission of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is nothing but an attempt to “vilify” the Founding Father of the Nation, Dr. Sam Nujoma and it is an unwelcome action disturbing the hard-won peace and stability in Namibia.

He said the Government has established beyond doubt that the Executive Director of the NSHR Mr. Phil yaNangolo has made a submission to the ICC seeking the prosecution of the Founding President and three other Namibians.

“I find the actions of Mr. Phil yaNangolo most unacceptable. Those who warrant prosecution are not Comrade Sam Nujoma and other patriotic Namibians, but the enforcers of apartheid colonialism who brutalised, traumatised, killed and tortured countless Namibians,” he said.

The NSHR submitted an application in 2006 to the ICC to initiate investigations on Dr. Sam Nujoma and three others for alleged “murder, illegal detention without trial, systematic torture and disappearance of both SWAPO members and PLAN fighters” before and after independence.

Pohamba said it must be remembered that it was under the Presidency of Nujoma that Namibia became a State Party to the ICC after the Namibian Parliament ratified the Rome Statute on 25 June 2002. He added that it should also be noted that the jurisdiction of the ICC is essentially limited to cases which occurred after the Rome Statute came into force on 1 st July 2002.

The President argued that the “frivolous and baseless allegations” raised by yaNangolo against the Founding President pre-date the coming into force of the Rome Statute, therefore, the Namibian Government fails to understand why he made such baseless allegations to the ICC. “One can only conclude that Mr. Phil yaNangolo has an agenda only known to himself,” he said.

He further said Dr. Sam Nujoma is not only known by many as a hero, but he is the architect of the policy of national reconciliation enshrined in the Namibian Constitution and as the current President he was obliged to uphold, protect and defend it, as per Article 30 of the Namibian Constitution.

In the meantime, he called upon the nation to remain calm, united and focused so that the Government can devote its energy towards implementing programmes and projects aimed at addressing the socio-economic needs of our people towards achieving Vision 2030.