Lucienne Fild in Windhoek
FOLLOWING weeks of acrimonious debate, the controversial book about Swapo’s abuse of detainees, German clergyman Siegfried Groth’s Namibia: The Wall of Silence, was released at the weekend. The book’s revelations have threatened Namibia’s reconciliation process and calls have been made for a South African- style truth commission.
Members of the public jam-packed a Windhoek hotel hall for the release on Saturday, and were treated to harrowing first-person accounts of what Swapo, Namibia’s ruling party, did to comrades whom it accused of spying for South Africa during Namibia’s struggle for independence from its southern neighbour.
The launch was organised by the Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS), a civil rights pressure group led by former detainee Samson Ndeikwila. The movement was started earlier this year by former detainees, friends and relatives of missing persons and other concerned Namibians.
Ndeikwila said the BWS believed that Namibia, widely regarded as a model of democracy, should take a lead in resolving difficult problems. “Namibians should never avoid being controversial in the process of defending and promoting human rights and the truth,” he said.
He said the BWS movement was aware of the sensitivity of the subject but wanted to ensure that Swapo’s detentions were addressed openly and that the fate of the detainees left behind in the dungeons at the end of the war in 1989 be disclosed. “BWS is at the beginning of consolidating itself into a strong civil rights pressure movement. Then serious and meaningful dialogue can start between us and the relevant parties on how to handle problems and strengthen democracy in our country.”
Last month, Namibian president Sam Nujoma went on national television to slam the yet-to-be released book, and launched a personal attack on Groth. Nujoma ran into a barrage of criticism for “abusing” the public medium, while Swapo secretary general Moses Garoeb later said the treatment of detainees was nothing to apologise about — and threatened that “civil war” could result where old wounds were opened.
Former detainees at the launch recounted their experiences in the Swapo dungeons, speaking of torture, pain and their desire for the truth. Elizabeth Nantanga said she joined Swapo in exile in 1981 and was arrested the same year. She was only 16 years old when she was incarcerated in the dungeons for nine years.
Nantanga told a shocked audience that she had fled Namibia and crossed into Angola on foot. Shortly afterwards she was arrested by Swapo and accused of having hidden South African communication equipment in her feet. While four soldiers held her down, the others “took the knife from the gun and cut my feet”.
Paulina Dempers said she was recalled from military training by Swapo on her 21st birthday and called a spy. She was released after several hours and went on to complete her training. In 1986, she was arrested again and sent to the dungeons. Dempers is still very bitter. The father of her children never returned from the dungeons. “Whatever it costs, I will contribute to clear my name and the name of my colleagues. We are demanding that the truth comes out.”
Reinhard Kala Gertze said he left Namibia at the age of 18. He completed a three-year training course at the United Nations Institute for Namibia and obtained a scholarship in France. He was then assigned to Swapo’s Foreign Relations Department in Luanda. After one month, he was told to report to the Tobias Hainyeko Training Centre where he spent five months. On completion of his training, Gertze was suddenly arrested, tortured and thrown in the dungeons. He was forced to admit in writing that he had been a South African spy.
On April 21 1986, Nujoma had visited the detainees and told them that he was ashamed that they were being held in such conditions, but also at their having “conspired with the Boers”, Gertze said. The president had informed the detainees that Swapo was ready to forgive, but not to forget.
Gertze said on January 10 1989, Moses Garoeb had visited the detainees and informed them that the Swapo Central Committee had decided to release them. Garoeb warned them not to go against Swapo as “we will shoot you with the same vigour we shot the Boers”. Gertze was released in 1989. — The Namibian