News and Information

THE CAPRIVI STRIP CASE
January 30, 2013
THE CAPRIVI STRIP CASE

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Let’s say that the world has now become too small that what happens in one corner can easily be felt and witnessed by others on the other side. SWAPO’s history is rich in terms of how they were able to use force to suppress their own people both in exile and at home. So, one can easily site dungeons that were dug and used as prisons in Lubango, Angola and many other mass graves in Angola and the Western Caprivi.

It is because of these murderous acts that we categorically can refer to the leaders of SWAPO as murderers. Conversely, it is safe to echo Keshii Nathanael who once mentioned that the current SWAPO leaders are not the right people to steer the democratic future of Namibia due to their al¬leged past corrupt practices during the country’s long and bitter liberation struggle that lasted nearly 27 years in exile.

Going back in history, it is clear that Mr. Nujoma used unjustifiable force to suppress those whom he thought were a threat to his position as SWAPO President. He did so by arresting, torturing, detaining and carrying out not only unjustifiable but also unlawfully executions of his people including Caprivian Nationals.

In regard to Shalli’s recent comments when he was interviewed by the Observer newspaper in Namibia on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, it is unfortunate to even compare The Caprivi Strip Case or uprising as he indicated to that of Rehoboth. Geographically, Rehoboth is in Namibia which automatically makes it part of that country, no question about it. But it is a known fact that land was in the past acquired through wars and thus they had the right to fight their way out to become a monarch.

The Caprivi Strip case is different, though. The territory can easily be detached from Namibia. It has natural borders and boundaries that were demarcated by the British during the scramble of Africa. Furthermore, during the apartheid era, the people of the Caprivi under Mr. Muyongo’s CANU party fled the country seeking for independence of that territory in the sixties. The unfortunate thing happened in Lusaka, Zambia where Mr. Muyongo and others in his party agreed to merge with SWAPO, an agreement still binding to date. Question is; why is SWAPO afraid to bring this issue on the political table? Second is there an agreement in black and white that was reached in exile between SWAPO and the people of Rehoboth?

Let us also remind people that Namibia is unlawfully occupying the Caprivi Strip by force of arms, a case and situation that warrants a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). See Act 39 (5) Act of 1968 of the Constitution of South West Africa. Under that Act and law of South West Africa (Namibia), Namibia has no jurisdiction over The Caprivi Strip. What they came up with in 1999 is incongruent to the facts on the table and thus inconclusive and unconstitutional, even in accordance to the Namibian laws.

On the other hand it is sometimes important to give credit where it is due. General Shalli was right to mention that “Caprivians have been in jail for 13 years, there must be a way to fast-track this process, because with the legal solution you will spend another 13 years trying to find these people guilty. SWAPO knows what to do; they do not just have the courage to talk about it”.

To us democracy means a government obeying their Constitution and staying out of individual citizens' personal lives. This means allowing citizens to make their own decisions for their own personal lives. It means not having politicians in office who believe citizen’s freedom of speech should have any limits. It also mean that government does not have any authority to take any individual right away or change it in any way. Our individual rights are God-given rights to all and no human can take those away.

In conclusion, it goes without saying that the Caprivi Strip case shall never die until and unless a logical and lasting solution is found. Just as Obama once said that change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things. So, SWAPO and government of Namibia should know that the greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that.


UDP Bulela Sicaba Sa Utwa

Chrispin Mutoiwa
UDP Secretary for Information
Mutcrio@yahoo.com



Source: United Democratic Party (UDP)


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