Decades after their release, survivors of the Lubango dungeons remain haunted by memories of torture and loss – still waiting for an apology from founding president Sam Nujoma.
The camps, which were referred to as ‘Swapo death camps’ in the 1980s, were formally referred to as ‘omalambo’ (dungeons) in Oshiwambo.
Survivor Ilona Amakutuwa spoke to The Namibian last week while paying tribute to Nujoma, who died in Windhoek on 8 February.
She says Nujoma was her biological uncle.
“He is now gone. But he is gone without apologising to us and to the families who never got closure,” she says.
Amakutuwa says no one knows what happened to those left behind at Lubango.
This continues to disturb her.
‘INTERROGATION, TORTURE AND IMPRISONMENT’
No one knew the exact location of the Lubango dungeons, survivors say.
Those accused of collaborating with the South African military to spy on Swapo’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan), were taken to Lubango.
They were often abducted by Plan soldiers and taken to the dungeons for interrogations, torture and imprisonment.
It is reported that around 1 000 Swapo members were detained at the Lubango dungeons during Namibia’s liberation struggle.
‘CONSTANT NIGHTMARES’
Amakutuwa says she is grateful that Nujoma dedicated his life to the liberation struggle.
But the nightmares of the dungeons remain a constant reminder of the five months of beatings and other torture techniques she endured at the hands of Swapo’s counter-intelligence soldiers – under Nujoma’s strict command.
“I continue to suffer – even after I was released in 1982. The freedom I fought for became my jail, as my own people regard me as an enemy,” she says.
Amakutuwa says her family does not talk to her because of the South African spy agent mark she carries.
‘HE CHOSE TO DO NOTHING’
“I was considered an enemy back then and today as well. My reputation has been tarnished by him [Nujoma], because he was the commander-in-chief. He knew what was happening and chose not to do anything,” she says.
Amakutuwa says while asleep one night in 1981, three soldiers surrounded her, dragged her to a vehicle, and took her to the dungeons.
Despite being released the next year, she says Swapo has killed innocent people, and their families deserve an explanation.
“Who is going to do it now? The only person who could have done it is gone,” she says.
Swapo had a 12-order rule, Amakutuwa says, which stated that speaking poorly of the party, going against it, or losing a military belt or gun was punishable by death.
This, she says, was opposed by Tauno Hatuikulipi, the father of corruption-accused former Fishcor board chairperson James Hatuikulipi, at the time.
Tauno, who was a Swapo politburo member, then disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.
Amakutuwa says his death in 1984 was a mystery, but she believes he was killed for his views.
HOPING FOR RECONCILIATION
With president-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at the helm, she says she hopes Swapo will call for reconciliation with the Lubango dungeons victims.
“Those who tell us to forgive them, please shut your mouths and tell the violators you dance and celebrate with to repent, confess and apologise before you abuse our peace,” she says, referring to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia, which has in the past suggested that Lubango victims forgive and forget.
‘REMOVING THE STIGMA’
Another survivor, Emmanuel Usiku, who was abducted in 1984 and released in 1989, says he was wrongfully accused of being a spy agent.
He recalls that he went to Angola on 11 July 1977 to train as a soldier to join the armed struggle, but was later taken to the dungeons.
“It’s a pity the old man is gone without apologising to me and removing this stigma he has put on me. I am known up until today as a spy agent against Swapo,” he says.
Usiku says in 1989 he was released along with others on condition of a video confession to incriminate themselves.
He says he confessed to crimes he never committed so he could be free.
“We left those who refused behind and never saw them again. We’ve been asking ourselves where they are and what happened to them,” he says.
Usiku claims the video confession was facilitated by minister of defence and veterans affairs Frans Kapofi.
He says Kapofi should come forward and bring closure to the affected families.
Kapofi yesterday told The Namibian that he did not want to talk comment on it”That chapter is closed and talking about it will open wounds. I cannot say anything further” he said.
‘SECRETS TAKEN TO THE GRAVE’
Human rights campaigner Phil ya Nangoloh says what happened to the survivors was a violation of human rights, and Nujoma’s death leaves more questions than answers.
“It’s a pity Nujoma has taken secrets to his grave. It would have been better if he provided some sort of closure to the victims’ families,” he says.
Ya Nangoloh says most of the survivors formed part of a group of 153 Swapo detainees who were repatriated by the United Nations from Angola to Namibia in July 1989.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says Nujoma made a mistake, but his contribution to Namibia’s freedom outweighs his mistake.
“When we speak about the Lubango dungeons, we should look at it in the broader context that war is messy, and in war there is collateral damage,” he says.
Kamwanyah says the dungeons were a result of Swapo trying to protect Namibia from South Africa, which, at the time, intensified its tactics by infiltrating Swapo and training spies within the movement.
He believes Swapo did not use good judgement and lacked sophisticated mechanisms to separate innocent people from spies.
‘SWAPO SHOULD APOLOGISE’
He says Swapo still blaming the Lubango dungeons victims is not sustainable, and that it should instead acknowledge and admit that in trying to liberate the country it made unintentional mistakes, and apologise.
“We should give Nujoma credit for going into exile to mobilise international support for Namibia until 1990 when he returned, because that was not easy to do,” he says.
Kamwanyah says Nujoma was never physically present at the dungeons, but was fed information by commanders on the ground.
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