Call for report on Botswana army to be tabled in parliament

THE Namibian Lives Matter Movement (NLMM) has called for the immediate tabling in parliament of a report following consultations last year with local communities on alleged acts of intimidation, aggression and killings by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).

The parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and security conducted an oversight visit from 25 to 29 July last year to consult the affected communities, traditional authorities, pressure groups, regional leaders and heads of security forces to assess the gravity of the security situation along the Namibian border with Botswana.

The committee also sought to understand and interrogate the boundary treaty agreement signed between Namibia and Botswana in 2018.

NLMM national chairperson Sinvula Mudabeti on Monday said it is unacceptable that the report has been put aside for 10 months without reason.

“Delaying the tabling of this report is tantamount to betraying the sacred trust given to elected members of parliament, who took an oath that they are now flouting without qualms.

“This type of work ethic by elected members of parliament cannot be accepted or condoned,” he said.

Mudabeti said the NLMM is waiting for the report to be tabled to see if it can assist them in their quest to seek legal remedies in the High Court of Namibia, as well as alternative international remedies on the border treaty of 2018.

“The primary function of this committee is thus hijacked by political expediency, rather than people’s needs on the ground. Our aim is to seek timely redress for the benefit and betterment of our posterity,” he said.

The chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee, Leevi Katoma, this week said the report has taken a long time to be finalised due to circumstances beyond their control.

He said they had hoped to table the report during the last session in March, but could not do so as they only concluded the stakeholders’ consultation with the surveyor-general in March.

“The report is in its final stage now, and will be tabled to the standing rules and order for approval and then to the house, probably during the forthcoming session slated for next month.

“The committee understands the concerns of the affected communities and would like to assure them that, given the sensitivity of the matter, the committee is also required to deal with the matter accordingly,” he said.

It’s been confirmed that the BDF has killed more than 37 Namibians since independence.

The latest killings were those of Tommy, Martin, and Wamunyima Nchindo and their cousin Sinvula Munyeme on 5 November 2020 along the Chobe River.

This happened because they were suspected to be part of a poaching syndicate.

The shock was too much to bear for the mother of the Nchindo brothers, Alphonsina Mubu (69), who collapsed and died five days after the incident.

The BDF was absolved of any wrongdoing by regional magistrate Taboka Mopipi of Botswana after a two-week-long inquest into the incident.