Ex-detainee issue still runs deep

THERE were bitter complaints at a meeting of the Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS) movement, an organisation of former Swapo detainees, that the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) has so far failed to take up the issue of ex-detainees.

“The relationship between BWS and the Council of Churches is not improving to the extent that one would like,” said Pauline Dempers, a former detainee and National Co-ordinator of BWS, in her report at a meeting held on Saturday in Khomasdal. The meeting, which was scheduled to be the group’s annual general meeting, did not have a quorum to hold an AGM, and it was decided to hold it as an ordinary meeting.The report by the management committee also stated that BWS had requested an audience with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petitions, which has not materialised to date.BWS wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab, but has not received a reply.In meetings with parents or relatives of missing persons in different regions, the management committee found that parents are psychologically affected: “Some died while weeping from day one”.According to Dempers, some families were told that “they gave birth to traitors”, and others were scared to talk about their missing relatives.During a lively discussion, bitter comments were expressed.”We have to redefine reconciliation – this one is inadequate,” said one ex-detainee of the Lubango dungeons.Another participant suggested that BWS should periodically publish a newspaper with photographs of alleged former torturers in Lubango, some of them now in high Government positions.One ex-detainee said he sometimes thought of taking personal revenge when seeing his former torturers, but realised that only political solutions could help.The meeting, which was scheduled to be the group’s annual general meeting, did not have a quorum to hold an AGM, and it was decided to hold it as an ordinary meeting.The report by the management committee also stated that BWS had requested an audience with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petitions, which has not materialised to date.BWS wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab, but has not received a reply.In meetings with parents or relatives of missing persons in different regions, the management committee found that parents are psychologically affected: “Some died while weeping from day one”.According to Dempers, some families were told that “they gave birth to traitors”, and others were scared to talk about their missing relatives. During a lively discussion, bitter comments were expressed.”We have to redefine reconciliation – this one is inadequate,” said one ex-detainee of the Lubango dungeons.Another participant suggested that BWS should periodically publish a newspaper with photographs of alleged former torturers in Lubango, some of them now in high Government positions.One ex-detainee said he sometimes thought of taking personal revenge when seeing his former torturers, but realised that only political solutions could help.