Jerry Ekandjo goes ballistic at Eenhana Swapo rally

LANDS Minister Jerry Ekandjo made use of his regular rally vocabulary at Eenhana on Saturday, condemning “whites and Boers” and asking for the “tails” of opposition politicians to be “cut off” – expressions he has used since 1989.

Ekandjo’s remarks were in stark contrast to a message made by the Head of State and Swapo President Hifikepunye Pohamba on the same day at Keetmanshoop, urging Swapo members and those of opposition parties not to resort to political violence. “We praise President Pohamba for urging Swapo supporters to refrain from engaging in acts of provocation and political violence against their opponents,” the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said yesterday.It also praised Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah for emulating the President’s good example.Addressing a rally at Omauni village, some 110 kilometres east of Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region, on Friday, Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah unequivocally urged her audience not to physically attack anyone because of their political affiliation.According to eyewitnesses, Ekandjo, the newly appointed Swapo Information and Publicity Secretary – urged the crowd to sing “Phil ya Nangoloh (of NSHR), the nation hates you” and “The tails of Phil ya Nangoloh, Hidipo Hamutenya, Jesaya Nyamu, Ben Ulenga and (Abraham) Ndumbu must be cut off”.Ekandjo himself was leading the singing.”I heard the people of Phil ya Nangoloh [the National Society for Human Rights] are here with us.Let them be with us and let them write [what we say],” Ekandjo said, according to human rights monitors.”Whenever you see those opposition supporters speaking around at your cuca shops don’t beat or insult them.Just prepare to [beat] them at the ballot box,” he added.Ekandjo then allegedly also attacked “whites and Boers” by saying “Do not consider those old whites and Boers as good people.They are killers.If it was not for their acts, Namibia would have a large number of inhabitants like our neighbouring countries, such as South Africa and Angola”.These statements were heard by human rights monitors, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said yesterday.”We praise President Pohamba for urging Swapo supporters to refrain from engaging in acts of provocation and political violence against their opponents,” the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said yesterday.It also praised Information Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah for emulating the President’s good example.Addressing a rally at Omauni village, some 110 kilometres east of Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region, on Friday, Minister Nandi-Ndaitwah unequivocally urged her audience not to physically attack anyone because of their political affiliation.According to eyewitnesses, Ekandjo, the newly appointed Swapo Information and Publicity Secretary – urged the crowd to sing “Phil ya Nangoloh (of NSHR), the nation hates you” and “The tails of Phil ya Nangoloh, Hidipo Hamutenya, Jesaya Nyamu, Ben Ulenga and (Abraham) Ndumbu must be cut off”.Ekandjo himself was leading the singing.”I heard the people of Phil ya Nangoloh [the National Society for Human Rights] are here with us.Let them be with us and let them write [what we say],” Ekandjo said, according to human rights monitors.”Whenever you see those opposition supporters speaking around at your cuca shops don’t beat or insult them.Just prepare to [beat] them at the ballot box,” he added.Ekandjo then allegedly also attacked “whites and Boers” by saying “Do not consider those old whites and Boers as good people.They are killers.If it was not for their acts, Namibia would have a large number of inhabitants like our neighbouring countries, such as South Africa and Angola”.These statements were heard by human rights monitors, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said yesterday.