Thread: Now RDP under siege at Okahao

NSHR - A group of about 19 Opposition Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) activists travelling in three vehicles are currently (15h00) under siege by Swapo Party at the town of Okahao in the heartland of the Omusati Region. The town--which is located 70 kilometers west of Oshakati--is birth place of former Namibian President Sam Nujoma.

At a rally of his ruling Swapo Party held at Ongwediva on September 19 2009 at which he was the main speaker, Nujoma angrily blamed Western countries for the existence of opposition parties on the African continent. President Nujoma incited his audience inter alia to use hammer against whites in the country.

The RDP group, under the leadership of Nicanor Ndjoze (30), was just about to start its house-to-house electoral campaign at the town when a large swarm of between 700 and 900 violent school children descended on the RDP group and rained it with stones. At least one RDP member has been injured.

The children, who stormed out from the nearby Nangombe Combined School at the town, appeared to have been instigated by someone. Some of them shouted “Decapitate Ndjoze” referring to Nicanor Ndjoze, the close to 1.9m tall RDP Youth leader. The mob attacked the RDP team with stones for about 15 minutes next to the Miami Mobile shebeen and the windscreen on one of the three RDP vehicles was damaged, Ndjoze told NSHR a while ago. The female Mayor of the town apparently tried to stop the mob, but to no avail. A group of about 9 mainly female Police officers tried to intervene but they were told that Okahao is ‘no go area’ for RDP.

Ndjoze was forced to order his team to withdraw from the town for security reasons, to a spot about 1 kilometer east of the town with the mob in hot pursuit after them traveling in several vehicles. It is not known as to what had happened later to the RDP team as it went far away from the human rights stringer at the town.

The Swapo Party has constructively declared the Omusati Region as a ‘no go area’ for other political parties taking part in the increasingly violence-ridden electoral process. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has yet to say a word against the escalating incidents of political violence, intimidation and provocation in the country.

“As we have done in the past, we reiterate our vehement condemnation of all acts of provocations and violence and urge the ruling Swapo Party in particular to refrain forthwith from inciting violence against its political rivals. There can be no free or fair elections held these conditions of inter alia violence”, said NSHR spokesperson Steven Mvula this afternoon.

In case of additional comment, please call Steven Mvula or Phil ya Nangoloh at Tel: 061 236 183 or 061 253 447 (office hours) or Cell: +264 811 299 886 (Phil) or E-mail: nshr@nshr.org.na or visit: Namibia's National Human Rights Organisation