/ 3 April 2001

NUJOMA ON THE WARPATH

THE Namibian National Society for Human Rights on Monday accused president Sam Nujoma of dividing the Namibian nation following his public attacks on sexual and racial minority groups. Nujoma has publicly ordered Namibian police to arrest, deport and imprison gays and lesbians, saying homosexual behaviour was not permitted despite the country’s liberal constitution. “We did not fight for an independent Namibia that gives rights to gays and lesbians to do their bad things here,” Nujoma said. He also told Namibian schools to summarily stop teaching in the Afrikaans language saying children should be taught in English or their mother tongue. Nujoma should not forget that his constitutional mandate was to unite, reconcile and lead the country along the path of true national reconciliation, harmony and unity, the NSHR said. “The president is on the warpath attacking sexual and racial minority groups as well as civil society actors thus pushing for division among the citizens.”