ELCIN bans party flags

POLITICAL party flags will no longer be allowed on coffins during funeral services in ELCIN churches.

Pastor Joel Alweendo of the Eengolo ELCIN Church in Omusati Region announced this to mourners, who were mainly Swapo leaders, members and supporters, during the funeral service of their comrade Joseph (Shikuwa) Katofa, in the Eengolo ELCIN Church last Saturday.The funeral was also attended by Colonel Fredrick Matongo, Adviser to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.Katofa (66), who was a well known Swapo veteran from Okafitukakafimbi in Ombalantu in the Omusati Region, collapsed and died suddenly during the evening of September 17, just as he was attending and addressing a memorial service of another Swapo activists and veteran, Saara Shipwata, at Onambelela.As the coffin of Katofa was covered with a Swapo party flag when it was brought into the Eengolo ELCIN Church, Pastor Alweendo, after he explained the decision of the ELCIN leadership, gave an order through the directors of the ceremony, Fillemon Shikwambi and Sesilia Niingo, to remove the flag.Mourners in the church were not happy with the decision and started to murmur ‘No no, no, no’.Pastor Alweendo then told them that the decision was not taken by him alone. He said it was decided by the leadership of the church of which all of them are members and that all of them have to obey that decision. One of the family members stood up and told the directors of the ceremony to obey the Pastor’s order and remove the flag. Pastor Alweendo then continued with the funeral service.At the cemetery, Swapo members and supporters wanted to sing freedom songs, but again Pastor Alweendo told them that even party freedom songs are no longer allowed. When approached by The Namibian, ELCIN Secretary General Pastor Eliakim Shaanika said the church does not have a problem with covering a coffin with the national flag, but is concerned about political party flags.’We are just concerned that leaders, members and supporters of political parties must tolerate each other and allow each political party to cover the coffins of their members with their party flags. We have thought about this and realised it will be better not to allow political party flags in funeral services inside churches, in order to protect the harmony. Today it might be a Swapo member or leader and tomorrow a Nudo or another political party member or leader and the question is, are we really all politically mature enough to tolerate each other in this matter?’ Pastor Shaanika explained. About freedom songs at funerals, Pastor Shaanika said that this might not be a big problem as long as political parties do it in a mature manner.However, he said, the church leaves it to individual church congregation leaders to do as they see fit.When approached for comment yesterday Colonel Fredrick Matongo said he was shocked to see the pastor giving an order that a Swapo flag must be removed. ‘I was shocked, I couldn’t understand it because this was the first time I see and experience this since Namibia’s Independence. I think this must be stopped as soon as possible, because I have seen the communities are not happy with that,’ Matongo said. He added that if it is not stopped, there will be a problem between the church and its members of whom most are Swapo members and supporters. ‘All along, we have put Swapo party flags on the coffins during funeral services in the churches. Suddenly there is a stop on it, it shocked me and I think the church has to think twice and stop it,’ Colonel Matongo said.An individual member of the ELCIN told The Namibian that the church has taken a good decision not to allow political party flags during funeral services, because she knows that Swapo will be the first to complain if other political party flags, especially those of RDP, are allowed.