For some, an injury to one IS an injury to all

STAFF REPORTER THE brutalities inflicted on Zimbabwe’s opposition last weekend have sparked reaction from various quarters in Namibia.

The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) called upon SADC and the African Union to speak out against the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. “We deplore the deafening silence on the part of our own Namibian Government in the face of the brutal and barbaric physical attacks by the police against human rights defenders and opposition leaders in Zimbabwe,” said NSHR executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh.”The Zimbabwean situation is reminiscent of the systematic abuses, which existed under apartheid South Africa and which the Namibian people have been fighting against for some three decades.Continuous silence on our Government’s part could reinforce widespread reports that Namibia approves or tolerates the grave human rights, humanitarian and security situation in Zimbabwe,” Ya Nangoloh stated in a press release.The German Embassy in Windhoek sent out a statement by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the current President of the 27-nation European Union.The EU Presidency condemned the violent actions by Zimbabwean security forces.”The EU presidency calls on the Zimbabwe government to resolve the country’s pressing political, economic and social problems in a dialogue with all of the country’s political forces.”The EU Presidency welcomed the release late on Wednesday of 14 members of the opposition in Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate release of the other participants of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign prayer meeting arrested on Sunday a week ago.”The Presidency was deeply concerned to learn of the serious injuries suffered by the opposition leaders as a result of maltreatment,” the statement said.”The Presidency emphasises once more the Zimbabwean government’s responsibility for the safety and well-being of those arrested.The Presidency will continue to observe events in Zimbabwe with interest.”The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), which has its head office in Windhoek, said it was dismayed and horrified at the brutality displayed by the Zimbabwean government in its crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly.”Even more horrifying is the deafening silence from SADC governments in the wake of the most brutal arrests and torture of members of the media and civil society gathered for a prayer meeting on Sunday 11 March 2007, leaving one person dead,” Misa said in a statement.In a petition on Friday, Misa, in partnership with Namibian civil society, urged the Namibian Government to end its silence on the issue.”We deplore the deafening silence on the part of our own Namibian Government in the face of the brutal and barbaric physical attacks by the police against human rights defenders and opposition leaders in Zimbabwe,” said NSHR executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh.”The Zimbabwean situation is reminiscent of the systematic abuses, which existed under apartheid South Africa and which the Namibian people have been fighting against for some three decades.Continuous silence on our Government’s part could reinforce widespread reports that Namibia approves or tolerates the grave human rights, humanitarian and security situation in Zimbabwe,” Ya Nangoloh stated in a press release.The German Embassy in Windhoek sent out a statement by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the current President of the 27-nation European Union.The EU Presidency condemned the violent actions by Zimbabwean security forces.”The EU presidency calls on the Zimbabwe government to resolve the country’s pressing political, economic and social problems in a dialogue with all of the country’s political forces.”The EU Presidency welcomed the release late on Wednesday of 14 members of the opposition in Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate release of the other participants of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign prayer meeting arrested on Sunday a week ago.”The Presidency was deeply concerned to learn of the serious injuries suffered by the opposition leaders as a result of maltreatment,” the statement said.”The Presidency emphasises once more the Zimbabwean government’s responsibility for the safety and well-being of those arrested.The Presidency will continue to observe events in Zimbabwe with interest.”The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), which has its head office in Windhoek, said it was dismayed and horrified at the brutality displayed by the Zimbabwean government in its crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly.”Even more horrifying is the deafening silence from SADC governments in the wake of the most brutal arrests and torture of members of the media and civil society gathered for a prayer meeting on Sunday 11 March 2007, leaving one person dead,” Misa said in a statement.In a petition on Friday, Misa, in partnership with Namibian civil society, urged the Namibian Government to end its silence on the issue.