PRESS RELEASE

A group of between 50 and 70 boisterous SWAPO Party (SP) supporters yesterday effectively barred a scheduled rally of the rival Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) from taking place in a poverty-stricken locality of Windhoek. Despite the vigorous Police efforts to persuade SP supporters to leave the venue, a potentially violent encounter was only avoided after RDP decided to withdraw ‘for the sake of peace’.

An estimated crowd of between 150 and 200 curious onlookers assembled on both sides of Ongete Street as defiant SP supporters persistently claimed that a clear spot on a hill in the Okuryangava Location of Windhoek was their turf and a ‘no go area’ for RDP. Judging from the insults and other derogatory epithets hurled at a relatively small contingent of Police officers, some members of the vocal SP group appeared to be hostile to the Police. Between 5 and 7 riot-control Police officers wearing masks and brandishing teargas canisters were on the stand by just in case violence breaks out.

Shouting incendiary harangues with racial undertones, SP supporters said “Aashamba ne indeni koLyeeta yeni nenge shuneni kEenhana dheni hwi”, “Sema owu li peni” and “Oshipundi (nashi ye) kuNujoma”. These are Oshiwambo vernacular terms for “You commoners (as opposed to the nobles) go to your Lyeeta or go back to Eenhana”, “Sam, where are you?” and “Power to Nujoma”, respectively.

‘Lyeeta’ is clear reference to a shopping center belonging to RDP Regional Secretary for the Khomas Region and former SP MP Jeremiah Nambinga, while ‘Eenhana’ refers to the capital of the Ohangwena Region from where Nambinga and several top RDP leaders have originated.

Approached for comment about the incident, Khomas Region SP Coordinator Michael Mwinga referred an NBC TV news reporter to “those who had called you here”. Mwinga allegedly instigated the SP activists.

A female observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, likened yesterday’s confrontation to “a small scale Zimbabwe situation”. She accused SP supporters of behaving like Zimbabwean ZANU-PF militias and strongly warned against the escalation of political violence in Namibia.

Meanwhile, human rights monitors and the media in the Ohangwena Region had reported several incidents involving political violence and intolerance on the part of SP supporters during the last seven days:

1. In a prominent report on May 6 2008, the daily Afrikaans Republikein newspaper published the picture of an injured Ms. Aili Nghihalwa (41). Ms. Nghihalwa was reportedly assaulted by her husband, Nathaniel, after she attended an RDP rally held at Edundja village on May 3 2008.

2. Human rights monitors in the said Region also reported that in the morning of May 4 2008, at Okadila Village, a certain Joseph assaulted his own mother, Ms. Rauna Nghikunyunga (68), after the latter attended the aforementioned RDP rally at Edundja village. According to impeccable NSHR sources, Joseph is a cattle herder in the employ of a certain Kasita, who is said to be the SP Coordinator at Edundja village.

3. In yet another incident at the Edundja village, on May 3 2008, a 58-years old businessman allegedly evicted his own children from their home, because they have joined RDP. The siblings, Donatius (22), Faustinus (21) and Maria (20), confirmed the incident to NSHR on May 8 2008. Speaking on his own behalf and that of his siblings Donatius, who admitted that he and his siblings are RDP members, requested NSHR to “please educate our father and other SWAPO Party supporters about the human rights of everyone to join the party of their choice as guaranteed in the Namibian Constitution”.

“We don’t want to lay a criminal charge against him with the Police, but we are urging him to allow us back home”, Donatius told human rights monitors.

Repeated NSHR efforts to reach Donatius’ father, an employee of NamDeb at Orangemund, had proved futile.

4. In a fourth additional incident of politically-motivated violence and intolerance, Victor Haufiku (19) was allegedly assaulted by his elder brother after he joined RDP. The incident occurred on May 6 2008 at Okadiva village near Edundja village also in the Ohangwena Region.

5. In yet another related incident, an SP Regional Councilor last Friday announced over an NBC Radio program that a demonstration by parents and certain teachers will be held at the Etalaleko Secondary School on May 13 2008. The protest, organized under the guise of parental concern about “the deterioration of education at our school”, is, in fact, intended to press ahead for the removal of the school principal, Lameck “Kamunyengo” Shilongo (53).

In a Press Release issued on February 11 2008, NSHR reported that “certain SWAPO Party leaders are deeply implicated in machinations to expel the Principal of the Etalaleko Secondary School at the town of Okahao in the Ongandjera tribal area in the Omusati Region”. The expulsion of principal Shilongo was the subject of a February 9 2008 rally held at the headquarters of the Ongandjera Traditional Authority at the town. Human rights monitors also attended the rally. “Kamunyengo is an RDP member, which is a tribal party of the Kwanyamas,” several SWAPO Party activists claimed during and after the rally.

Contacted for comment, a defiant Kamunyengo confirmed that he has heard about the demonstration over the NBC Radio. He confirmed to NSHR that he an RDP member and that, under inter alia Article 17 of the Namibian Constitution, he has the right to belong to a political party of his choice.

NSHR has in good authority form SP sources at Outapi that the Omusati Region has been declared a ‘no go area’ for RDP.

In light of the above incidents, NSHR once again calls upon His Excellency President Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba, in his capacity as Namibian head of State and President of the SWAPO Party, to unequivocally pronounce himself on national television against the ever growing political intolerance, anti-Kwanyamaism as well as any other tribal or racially motivated sentiments in the country.

For further information please call: Dorkas Phillemon or Phil ya Nangoloh at Tel: +264 61 236 183 or +264 61 253 447 (during office hours only) or E-mail: nshr@nshr.org.na or visit National Society for Human Rights :: Tolerance - Liberty - Happiness.