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Review on issues affecting people in the Caprivi, year 2010
December 21, 2010
Review on issues affecting people in the Caprivi, year 2010

In our previous articles we had indicated then and now that the country Caprivi was and is not part of Namibia. History is the better teacher as it is clear that Caprivi was temporarily placed to German South West Africa as a result of the Germany Anglo Treaty of 1890. This gentleman agreement never lasted long as the Germans realized that the Zambezi River was unnavigable and then it returned back to the British control. We had also stated categorically that in 1999 after Caprivians had sought asylum in Botswana, SWAPO and government of Namibia realized that they were administering the Caprivi illegally. They then revisited article 39(5) of the constitution of South West Africa, act 39 of 1968. The stipulation of this law was that “no law exercised in South West Africa, Namibia will be applicable in the Caprivi”. We want to emphasis the fact that Caprivians to this day are not independent. The independence of Namibia, according to article 39(5) of the constitution of South West Africa, act 39 of 1968, was illegally imposed on the Caprivians because this act stipulates clearly that Namibian laws should not apply to the Caprivi.

Prior to independence, Caprivi was administered from the Union building in Pretoria. In 1972 the country had its own parliament, flag, and national anthem. This state of affairs only ended in 1990 when Namibia attained its independence. Caprivi is a territory independent from Namibia. It has natural boundaries, population and everything that qualifies it to be a country. The United Democratic Party (UDP) put it clearly that a referendum was the only amicable and lasting solution to the Caprivi Case, but SWAPO because they are a party and government of criminals and crooks could not take that route as they know for sure that should it happen then Caprivi will no longer be under their control.

One other issue that deserves critic was that of Dr. Kawana’s remarks on CANU and the people of the Caprivi as was depicted in the Caprivi vision of October 5, 2010. We thought in the first place that having a Ph. D in law is a very high qualification that puts a person in a class of the elite and rationale. We also think that the minister knows better but masks the truth to protect his position in SWAPO and government of Namibia. If we may ask the minister, who is he and where does he come from? Under which party did he leave the Caprivi into Zambia in 1975? Who was the President of CANU by then, and who were the signatories to the OPO/CANU merger in 1964? Lastly, what makes him the mouth piece of Namibia instead of Mr. Nujoma or the incumbent President, Mr. Pohamba to mention but a few?

Some of us never went into exile during the SWAPO liberation struggle but are aware that the Late Mr. Simbwae never agreed nor signed the merger between OPO and CANU. Three people from the Caprivi were present at the signing of the merger and neither of the two mentioned by Dr. Kawana were in attendance. The late Greenwell Matongo was at Sesheke by then and never participated in anything considered as a merger at all. We know that in Caprivi we are inter-related, and digging deep we found that Dr. Kawana originates from the Katupisa family at Linyanti. This puts him as a very close cousin of Mr. Muyongo. It was Mr. Muyongo after the arrest and demise of late Mr. Simbwae who became leader of CANU and saw it joining hands with OPO to form SWAPO. It is therefore important to give credit where it is due unlike hiding the truth to serve your own political expedience. To refer to Caprivians as failed politicians is an insult which deserves an apology. It is you Dr. Kawana who is a political opportunist that fails to realize the truth about your identity and what you should fight for as a Caprivian. Enjoy and eat when you still can because the same SWAPO government that you relentlessly so defend will one day turn against you, like they did to so many Caprivians and others both in exile and in Namibia. You have been a good homeboy and never turn your back against your blood family and countrymen, because you will meet them on your way back coming down from the helm of power.

Health; we also had mentioned in our previous articles that health sector as one of the most important departments in the Caprivi was down graded. All the most important health services that used to be undertaken in the Caprivi, like emergence services, x-rays and even the pharmacy were transferred to Rundu leaving Caprivians with nothing. Many Caprivian students and qualified medical Doctors are being sent to Oshakati and Windhoek, and instead Cuban Doctors who in the first place have some language barriers and /or unqualified and underqualified are the ones dumped in the Caprivi. The reason of putting them there is to eliminate and reduce the Caprivian population by 2030.

It is worth mentioning here that as a minister from the Caprivi, one was supposed to represent and advocate issues pertaining to the Caprivian health to central government. But the opposite is true in that, in this year’s health budget nothing was budgeted for the Caprivi. Instead the minister was quick to introduce bicycle ambulances in the Caprivi. Seemingly, he and his principals are happy to see poor Caprivians dying because of lack of health services in the Caprivi. It is five hundred and twenty kilometers from Katima Mulilo to Rundu and many people are poor and do not own vehicles in the Caprivi. What this issue means to all Caprivians is that they are on their own and thus should fend for themselves in terms of health and other services. An accident injured person cannot survive long hours of travel from Katima Mulilo to Rundu after which he or she would be dumped without proper care from his or her close relatives. The question is why did they transfer health services to Rundu?

The Agricultural sector; information has it that the “Sachinga Breeding Scheme” is no more there as government took all the cattle to Namibia, a destructive move to see Caprivians down trodden to the mud. That project of animal husbandry was created by our former colonizers for Caprivian who were interested in that sector to find easy access to study. Government of Namibia saw that as too much education and took it away to deprive Caprivians the little education they enjoyed during the apartheid system of government. On the other hand government instead of empowering the people of the Caprivi in terms of sustainable agriculture and development, they instead wanted to deprive them the economic freedom they could achieve if given money and equipments for agricultural purposes.

Education; it is great to learn that a review has been done to phase out the BETD course in colleges as it lack the content part of education. Although this does not work in favor of all those that took the said course, it is considered a good move as it will help bring about change in terms of how teachers are trained in the country. For us the Bantu education system was better off compared to the Namibian system of education. We believe that the Caprivi is an open detention Camp where all the people including teachers are mentally tortured to an extent that they end up not knowing what to do and where to go. The SWAPO colonization is geared towards destroying the human resource in the Caprivi so much so that in the distant future they should not trouble them in terms of employment and the like. It is the Ovambo colonization that we want removed from the Caprivi for the Caprivi to enjoy the freedom they so desperately need.

This brings us to the question of development in the Caprivi. It is a known fact that Caprivi is the least developed region as they call them in Namibia today. Development in the Caprivi is used as a political tool by the SWAPO government of Namibia, For example electricity in the Caprivi only goes to those areas and people who supports the ruling party. To be more explicit, it was quick for the SWAPO government to take electricity to Bukalo while surpassing arias like Namalubi and Mubiza, but later came and supplied them after people had complained. Since independence nothing is done in terms of development unless the project benefits Namibia, for example the bridge between Caprivi and Zambia was erected to connect Zambia to Walvis Bay.

In place of development diamond was extracted in Western Caprivi chasing away the first people (Bushmen) in those areas. Later government decided to place the other part of the western Caprivi to Kavango, a political move for the SWAPO government to have more access to the minerals, animals and land for agricultural purposes. Secondly, divide and rule tactic was applied in the Caprivi which saw the birth of ethnic tribes in the Caprivi emerging to fight one another. A case in point is the Sikanjabuka /Bukalo issue. Also there was an issue of wanting to grab land between Liselo and Sangwali to turn it into a farm for the ex-President. This leaves much to be desired as these actions takes place only in the Caprivi and not in any other region in Namibia. Reviewing these cases it shows clearly that they are perpetuated by the SWAPO government to destroy Caprivian natural and human resources.

We also have learnt that SWAPO borrowed money from China, and information has it that they have failed to repay back the loan. Now the government of China has demanded like five thousand passports and land from Namibia to resettle their people in the country. This situation is not only serious but destructive in nature as it has many consequences in the distant future. Learning from other countries the deal if realized will not only affect the nation economically but also politically. To us that is a Namibian deal which in no way should be extended to the Caprivi. It is a known fact that those Chinese are not ordinary people, but come in the country in disguise as pseudo business men whereas in reality they are soldiers.

Caprivi is not part of Namibia but it looks like the SWAPO government want to cling to it indefinitely. Historically, linguistically, and politically Caprivi is different from the rest of Namibia. Even the food we eat is totally different as they eat dogs and we do not. We have historical ties with Zambia (western province), and Botswana but do not share any commonalities with South West Africa, Namibia. CANU under Mr. Muyongo and OPO under Mr. Nujoma merged to fight for independence of the Caprivi and South West Africa. This merger was not meant that the CANU leadership should relinquish their party and be assimilated into SWAPO no. It was agreed that at the attainment of independence Caprivians be asked whether to join the mainstream Namibia or remain independent, a question the SWAPO government dares to ask.

In 1999 August 2 war broke up in the Caprivi as people got tired of being overlooked by the SWAPO government in terms of the Lusaka agreement. In retaliation SWAPO arrested many Caprivians whether or not they participated in the war for as long as they were Caprivians and Muyongo’s people. These people were subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and Human Rights violations, including torture. For the past eleven (11) years they have been in prison without fair trial. Many have died in custody and some could not be accounted for as their demise remain secrete to date. Some died because of torture like the late sergeant Lupalezwi and others, but many including late McNaily Mutame, late Richwell Matengu and many others died because of food poisoning while in custody. The question is, for how long the SWAPO government wants to detain and subject these poor Caprivians to these sufferings.

It is high time that the Namibian government should realize that the poor Caprivians in prison have and deserve the right to be free and work to support their families. We are not the first people to fight for our country, as you just came in from exile in 1989, but the South African apartheid regime never kept you in prison indefinitely. You need to face the Caprivi Case head on. You created it and thus need to resolve it when you still can. All what the Caprivians want is self determination that leads to the Caprivi independence. Create a platform for a referendum to take place in the Caprivi, and the rest be left in the hands of Caprivians to determine their destiny.
UDP Bulela Sicaba Sa Utwa!!!!

Chrispin Mutoiwa

UDP Secretary for Information.
Mutcrio@yahoo.com
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Source: www.Caprivifreedom .com


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