HUMAN rights deteriorated in Namibia over the past year, the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said in its annual report, released on Tuesday, noting slight improvements in two regions. “Widespread and systematic acts and/or statements manifesting or inciting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance were monitored throughout the period under consideration,” it said. “These included virulent attacks on human rights defenders, the judiciary, the Church, whites, Europeans, foreigners, women and sexual minorities as well as the banning of certain media. On average, such intolerance has gone up by over 500% between 1999 and 2001.” Namibian President Sam Nujoma and high officials of his government were held responsible for violations. Nujoma alone accounted for 17% of the 99 incidents of racism and intolerance listed in the report. In the country’s densely-populated northern regions, violence was mostly attributed to Angolan troops operating in Namibia with Windhoek’s consent and the Namibian armed forces. – AFP