Ex-SWATF/Koevoet members in denial on pre-independent atrocities
• By former members of SWATF and Koevoet
It is increasingly becoming a habit for the politically bankrupt Swapo Party leaders to resort to slandering former members of the SWATF and Koevoet in a vain attempt to resuscitate their dying popularity.
That was again on display recently when SWAPO councilors made unfounded allegations during the 2022/2023 budget debate in the National Council.
Their allegations were widely reported in the media.
It all started on May 23, 2022 when Councillor Paul Isaacks of the Gibeon Constituency requested that the budget allocation to the war veterans affairs be inclusive of all former combatants regardless of their political affiliation or the side they were on.
Unfortunately, this noble and lawful request was overwhelmingly rejected by the Swapo councillors, spearheaded by councilor Fillemon Ndjambula of the Olukonda Constituency.
He made baseless and blatantly false allegations that former SWATF/Koevoet (1) delayed the independence of the country and (2) killed innocent people, destroyed crop fields, looted properties, raped women, etc.
We, the former members of the above mentioned units, want to make it categorically clear that the allegations by Swapo councilors are nothing more than a cocktail of factoids and outright lies clearly motivated by malice. They are a faked appeal to emotion meant to instigate hostility towards a segment of the society, thereby undermining and subverting the policy of National Reconciliation.
We challenge Ndjambula to be man enough to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, all his allegations, especially the women allegedly raped by former members of SWATF/Koevoet.
He also needs to tell the nation why the alleged crimes were not reported to the relevant authorities, both before and after independence to allow the law to take its course.
The public deserves to be told the truth instead of being fed with baseless propaganda.
Did former SWATF/Koevoet delay independence?
No! Former SWATF/Koevoet never objected to free and fair elections as is being alleged by Ndjambula.
He must rather tell the nation which party rejected and objected, since the early 1970s, to the peaceful and democratic transition to independence, preferring rather the utterly discredited communist dictatorship to be implemented after a mythological “independence through the barrel of the gun”.
It was Swapo that insisted that the gun must be the ultimate voter. It never happened. Swapo was eventually forced to abandon the weird idea that served only to delay our independence.
Ndjambula must inform the public, especially the youth that it was not SWATF/Koevoet, but rather PLAN terrorists (yes) who:
(1) Used civilians as human shields by hiding in their crop fields;
(2) launched their attacks from inside civilian homesteads;
(3) Killed civilians by cutting their throats after accusing them of being “puppets” simply because they refused/failed to provide food.
(4) Denied the relatives of those so assassinated the right to mourn and bury their dead.
(5) Destroyed public and private properties such as shops, schools, water pipelines and towers, electricity pylons, bridges, etc.
(6) Abducted school kids Boko Haram-style. Many of those so abducted more than 33 years ago, are still missing.
The Constitution reigns supreme
Ndjambula knows very well that the constitution is the fundamental and supreme law of Namibia. The state organs are clearly subordinate to it. The constitution serves as the mirror reflecting the national soul, the identification of the ideals and aspirations of a nation and we are part of Namibian society.
The Namibian Constitution articulates the values bonding its people and disciplining government.
Honourable Ndjambula and his colleagues must take cognition that the Namibian Constitution, Chapter 3, Article 3-25 is devoted to the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms. This chapter is expressing values and ideals which are consonant with the most enlightened view of a democratic society existing under law, such as ours. The Namibian Constitution requires that these fundamental rights and freedoms must be respected and upheld and where there are violations the courts have the duty to enforce if and when they are approached.
Honourable Ndjambula and his colleagues must take not that ex-military men and women who worked for the government at that time are human beings and their dignity is also protected by the Namibian Constitution the same protection afforded to him, as enshrined in article 10 of the Namibian Constitution. The same honourable must take note that Namibia is signatory to various regional and international human right instruments, namely the Universal Declaration of human rights (UDHR) of 1948, the regional human right treaty, Namibia has signed or ratified Organization of African Unity’s (OAU) African Charter on Human and People’s Rights in 1992. Therefore, Mr Ndjambula must take note that Namibia has assumed responsibilities in relation to human rights under the UN and OAU Charters. Therefore Hon. National Council member/s must first do his homework before express his denial of reality when it comes to the ex-soldiers who worked in the previous government. Members of the National Council must really familiarise themselves with the meaning of article 10 which talks about the equality and non- discrimination and has been associated with Article 8(1)- States that all persons shall be equal before the law.
Signed on behalf of former SWATF/Koevoet members
1. Name … Mr. Andonya. Frans cell phone +264 81 767 7530
2. Name … Mr. Elago A. Vaino cell phone +264 81 205 8209
3. Name … Mr. Lazarus Petrus cell phone +264 81 245 3370