NSHR reports more intimidation Penduke

BARELY two hours after its press release of late, NSHR received yet another report of violence allegedly committed by a ruling Swapo Party activist and directed against a Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) member. Human rights monitors in the Ohangwena region reported that a male Swapo Party activist, whose name is known, had brutally assaulted RDP activist Wilhelm Lukas (24) two days before.

The incident occurred on 13 October 2009 at around 19:30 at the Ekango Cucashops, some 60 km south west of the town of Eenhana. The town is the regional capital of the Ohangwena region.

Lukas, who is a resident of Epolivillage, told field human rights election monitors that, shortly before kicking him all over the body and assaulting him with a fist on his left eye the accused inter alia branded him “a traitor”.

The violent acts and other systematic conduct by Swapo members are compatible with, or are a mirror image of the recently widely reported direct and public incitement to commit violence as well as other anti-opposition hate expression by top-ranking Swapo leaders. In recent weeks and days, high ranking Swapo Party members, such as former Swapo Party President Dr. Sam Nujoma, Swapo secretary-general Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, Swapo secretary for information and political mobilization Jerry Ekandjo as well as Swapo Oshikoto region co-ordinator Armas Amukwayu, have intensified hate expression and other forms of intimidation against opposition parties and their supporters.

During her inherently furtive visit to President Robert Mugabe last Thursday, firebrand Swapo Secretary-general Mme Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, following secret talks with President Mugabe, accused Western countries of “creating reactionary political parties in futile attempts to dislodge liberation movements in Southern Africa from power and replace them with puppet regimes”. Added Mse Iivula-Ithana: “Western imperialists are looking at a formula to eliminate former liberation movements from power. We need to learn through every experience we have gone through.”

NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh warned: “Hence, naturally we remain very much concerned that, put together, these anti-democratic hate expressions and hate crimes constitute legally impermissible acts of intimidation, incitement to violence and or undue influences, the combined effect of which is intended to influence the final outcome of the electoral process, as contemplated by Section 95 of the Electoral Act 1992 (Act 24 of 1992), as amended. It is like the fruits of a poisonous tree.”

The continued elections-related intolerance violence and other acts of intimidation and incitement are viewed as strongly implying that the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has so far failed to cultivate a genuine culture of human rights, national reconciliation and political tolerance as well as informed democratic participation in the electoral process. In terms of Section 4(1) of the Electoral Act 1992 (Act 24 of 1992), ECN is exclusively authorized to direct, supervise and control in a fair, impartial and transparent manner any elections in the country.

“However, ECN has yet to lift a finger or utter a word against the acts of violence and hate speech which have been receiving widespread media coverage since the beginning of 2008. Thus we have reasonable fear and we warn that these pre-election acts, plus the said failure by ECN, might jeopardize human peace and security in the country,” ya Nangoloh lamented.