NSHR

NSHR once again strongly condemns the growing ominous signs of inter-ethnic and inter-tribal political violence for this country as Swapo Party members once again disrupted yet another public rally by organized by a rival party in a Windhoek suburb yesterday. The human rights organization warns that, unless these acts of ethnically motivated hatred are discontinued forthwith, they might result in a much wider inter-ethnic conflict and crimes against humanity for which those who are organizing these acts will have to be held accountable.

A small but vocal and potentially violent group of Swapo Party supporters, dressed in party colors and brandishing flags as well as armed with stones, prevented Opposition All Peoples’ Party (APP) members from holding a party rally at a soccer field situated in the Hakahana Constituency of Windhoek yesterday, human rights monitors reported. The dramatic incident started shortly before 13h00 and ended only around 16h00 following Police intervention.

Human rights monitors said that the vociferous group of between 20 and 30 Swapo Party activists, most of them women, led Regional Councilor Helena Andreas, disrupted the rally of close to 100 APP supporters in the at a makeshift soccer field in the Oohambo dhaNehale section of Windhoek’s suburb of Hakahana. Hurling racial epithets, such as “Ovatondi ove ya” (Oshiwambo vernancula for “The enemies have arrived”) “Aambwela shuneni koshilongo sheni” (Oshiwambo vernacular for ‘Mbwelas go back to your country’) and “Inamu tu lyapo” (Oshiwambo for “Mbwelas, do not bewitch us”) and “We have cut off Shixwameni’s tail. “Shixwameni” is direct reference to APP interim President Ignatius Shixwameni.

The term “Mbwelas” is a highly racially offensive characterization by the Ovambo people used to discriminate and denigrate especially ethnic Kavango, Caprivians, Zambians and Angolans. The term has the same meaning to ethnic Kavango, Caprivians, Zambians and Angolans as the terms “******” and “******” mean to black people in general when such words are uttered by white people.

Furthermore, Councilor Andreas reportedly also claimed that the venue, where APP rally was to take place, was a ‘no go’ area domain of the Swapo Party and that no rally could take place there without prior permission obtained from her. “Even if they have notified the Police or have obtained permission from the local authorities, no one is allowed to hold a rally here without the expression permission from the Swapo Party. This country is liberated by the Ovambos under the leadership of Swapo Party, not Kavangos”, Ms. Andreas was overheard as saying.

APP Efficiency Secretary Severinus Marhus “Yuku” Stinting (39) also condemned the Swapo Party for the disruption of their meeting.

Timely intervention by close to 100 members of the Namibian Police (NamPol) prevented the racially charged atmosphere from bursting into an actual stone-throwing ethnic match.

“Hence, once again as a human rights organization we highly applaud the Police for having successfully ensured that the potential outbreak of inter-ethnic violence has been averted. Also, it must once again be impressed upon Swapo Party President and Namibian Head of State President Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba to ensure that his supporters desist from provoking others as this might result in retaliatory strikes”, warned NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.

In case of additional comment, please call Dorkas Phillemon or Phil ya Nangoloh at Tel: 061 236 183 or 061 253 447 (office hours) or Cell: +264 811 299 641 (Dorkas) or E-mail: nshr@nshr.org.na or visit: www.nshr.org.na