NSHR on election violence

The NSHR writes:
 
NAMIBIA’S National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) once again strongly condemns the escalating acts of election-related violence and provocations in the country. Several incidents of violence have been monitored and or reports received by NSHR through its election monitoring hotline number: 0855 900 886.

Last Friday between 20:00 and 21:00 in Eveline Street in the Goreangab suburb of Windhoek, fighting broke out between a group of 15 Swapo Party activists and 7 RDP supporters after the former singing “We are Nujoma’s soldiers” removed a RDP poster from a municipal light pole.

Members of the Wanaheda police station rapidly intervened and no further incident occurred that evening. Mainly Oshiwambo-speaking Swapo Party activists on Sunday, 8th November unleashed yet another wave of violence and provocations against the supporters of opposition parties in various parts of the country.

Contrary to its daily claims, on Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Radio and TV News as well as current affairs programmes that it is genuinely committed to peace, stability and socio-economic development, the ruling Swapo Party is in fact increasingly sowing seeds of Zimbabwestyle election violence and political instability in the country.

At the Aussenkehr settlement in the Karas region in the deep south of the country close to 100 Oshiwambospeaking Swapo Party supporters mobbed a group of about 30 Congress of Democrats (CoD) election campaigners.

The Swapo Party activists, singing praises for former Namibian President Sam Nujoma, seized and/or destroyed at least 4 small CoD flags. They also prevented the CoD activists from campaigning any further at the settlement.

CoD National Assembly candidate Elma Dienda (44), who led the CoD expedition, confirmed the incident. Dienda told NSHR that Swapo Party activists also prevented her 5-member team from campaigning at Noordoewer the previous day. Swapo Party supporters told CoD activists that Aussenkehr and other places in the South were no go areas for other parties.

Dienda laid several charges of intimidation and obstruction as well as malicious destruction of property at the Aussenkehr and Noordoewer police station. Also Sunday, at the single quarters in Windhoek’s Mungunda Street, several Swapo Party supporters, who allegedly included Swapo Party mouthpiece editor Asser Ntinda, removed an RDP poster from a municipal light post adjacent to the “Libertine” market stalls.

As a consequence, at least two Swapo Party supporters were allegedly slapped in their faces by RDP activists after the Swapo Party members hid an RDP poster and hurled insults at the latter while praising President Nujoma.

Meanwhile, human rights monitors holed up in Outapi after the main skirmishes along the Oshakati-Ruacana motorway have reported that a mob of defiant Swapo Party supporters later laid siege to the Outapi police station and demanded the “immediate release of all those who you have arrested”.

Police responded by warning the mobsters to disperse or face more teargas canisters. Human rights monitors deployed within the Swapo Party crowd have also disturbingly overheard how some activists claimed that all the Oshikwanyama-speakers were followers of Hidipo Hamutenya, hence, they should leave Outapi.

Hidipo Hamutenya is direct reference to the RDP President who, like the Swapo Party President Pohamba, is also Oshikwanyama-speaking.

On 9 November the NSHR received a call from a concerned female Swapo Party member and who is an Oshikwanyama-speaker who said this on condition of anonymity: “The situation here in Outapi is tense charged with heavy racial undertones. We are now being told even this morning that all Kwanyamas here are followers of Hidipo Hamutenya and, hence, we must leave Outapi for the Ohangwena region. We demand an immediate public apology from the Swapo Party lest some of us immediately surrender our Swapo Party membership cards and leave this place before we are hurt”.

The woman said they were organising themselves to among others the police and regional governor Sackey Kayone of Omusati about their personal security and to demand an apology.

“Hence, the ruling Swapo Party simply can’t have it both ways: a rebel movement and a ruling party. These violent and incendiary conducts by its supporters are incompatible with the Swapo Party’s proclaimed commitment to peace, stability and development in this country. A faction of the ruling Swapo Party has apparently adopted a Zimbabwe-style violence strategy in a desperate attempt to ensure a 100 per cent election victory as they claim. Let us be honest about it. This is not the way to go under a so-called democracy”, observed NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.

The current growing acts of violence should not be laid at the feet of President Pohamba, Prime Minister Nahas Angula, Safety and Security Minister Nickey Iyambo and or Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. These Swapo Party leaders have unambiguously urged their supporters to shun violence.

“Rather, the seeds of violence are in our opinion being sown by, among others, Swapo Party Secretary General and Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and former Namibian President Sam Nujoma. Moreover, the violent Swapo Party supporters, more often than not, praise mr. Nujoma. As the “Supreme Leader of the Namibian Revolution”, Mr Nujoma is regarded as superior to President Pohamba as Iran’s Supreme ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is over that country’s president Ahmed Ahmedinejad”, ya Nangoloh concluded.

NSHR once again warns that the increasing acts of provocation, intimidation and violence have the potential of not only to undermine the freeness and fairness as well as the credibility of the current electoral process, but also to destabilise law and order in the country.