TEMPERS flared in Parliament yesterday as a Cabinet Minister publicly insulted a fellow MP, calling him a ‘traitor’, although the person was arrested and thrown into prison by the ‘Swapo machinery’ and had to languish in a Tanzanian jail for two years.
“You deserted (Swapo) and are regarded as a traitor, because you betrayed us, you joined the enemy,” Lands Minister Jerry Ekandjo told Philemon Moongo, Chairman of the DTA opposition party. Moongo contributed to the debate on the Veterans Bill and criticised that only former members of the Peoples’ Liberation Party of Namibia (Plan) would benefit from the future law, excluding Swapo detainees and Namibians who through forced conscription had to fight on the side of apartheid South Africa.After Ekandjo’s remark, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, reprimanded Ekandjo.”Minister Ekandjo, please stick to issues at hand,” he told Ekandjo.”I was removed from the front and arrested by Swapo, I did not voluntarily leave the liberation struggle,” Moongo defended himself.Deputy Home Affairs Minister Teopolina Mushelenga rose and Swapo backbencher Chief Ankama asked Moongo to explain the circumstances of his detention.”Go to your own party to hear why,” the DTA Chairman retorted, “but they don’t want members to be informed.”Moongo was one of a group of Plan officers who in 1975-76 complained that military equipment like arms, ammunition and food rations did not reach the front, which was in southern Angola along the border with Namibia.They sent a petition to the Swapo headquarters in Lusaka, demanding speedier supplies.In an interview with The Namibian during the tea break yesterday, Moongo said 15 Plan officers were arrested and taken to Lusaka, because Swapo cadres alleged the group wanted to stage a revolt against the Swapo leadership.”I did not know about those arrests and I was informed I would go for more training,” Moongo told The Namibian.”I was even given a new uniform and new boots.On arrival in Lusaka, Zambian military police arrested me.In prison I found the other Plan officers and also Swapo stalwart Andreas Shipanga!” The group smuggled out a letter to the UN, demanding a proper court hearing of the allegations against them.”We never made it to the courts.Instead, we were put in chains and taken in an aeroplane to Tanzania and thrown into prison there,” Moongo said.He remained in prison for two years.Shipanga’s wife lobbied internationally for the release of the group and the prisoners also smuggled letters out.Eventually they were released.Moongo was particularly angered by Ekandjo’s insulting remarks.”They (Swapo) know that history of our arrest very well and yet they call us traitors and puppets,” he told the House.”You say you have the policy of national reconciliation and today you say, ‘let’s reconcile’, but tomorrow you call us names again,” he criticised.DTA president Katuutire Kaura then asked Moongo if he remembered who shot a certain Johannes Nanguturava.”We know who killed him,” Kaura told the House.”He was murdered by you – Swapo, we know who it was!” Moongo said with a raised voice.The Speaker then told him to stick to his speech.Nanguturava hailed from the former Owamboland and apparently formed his own political party in 1969.He then went into exile, allegedly to join the armed struggle, but as a leader of his own party.It is said that Swapo did not like that.Moongo contributed to the debate on the Veterans Bill and criticised that only former members of the Peoples’ Liberation Party of Namibia (Plan) would benefit from the future law, excluding Swapo detainees and Namibians who through forced conscription had to fight on the side of apartheid South Africa.After Ekandjo’s remark, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, reprimanded Ekandjo.”Minister Ekandjo, please stick to issues at hand,” he told Ekandjo.”I was removed from the front and arrested by Swapo, I did not voluntarily leave the liberation struggle,” Moongo defended himself. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Teopolina Mushelenga rose and Swapo backbencher Chief Ankama asked Moongo to explain the circumstances of his detention.”Go to your own party to hear why,” the DTA Chairman retorted, “but they don’t want members to be informed.”Moongo was one of a group of Plan officers who in 1975-76 complained that military equipment like arms, ammunition and food rations did not reach the front, which was in southern Angola along the border with Namibia.They sent a petition to the Swapo headquarters in Lusaka, demanding speedier supplies.In an interview with The Namibian during the tea break yesterday, Moongo said 15 Plan officers were arrested and taken to Lusaka, because Swapo cadres alleged the group wanted to stage a revolt against the Swapo leadership.”I did not know about those arrests and I was informed I would go for more training,” Moongo told The Namibian.”I was even given a new uniform and new boots.On arrival in Lusaka, Zambian military police arrested me.In prison I found the other Plan officers and also Swapo stalwart Andreas Shipanga!” The group smuggled out a letter to the UN, demanding a proper court hearing of the allegations against them.”We never made it to the courts.Instead, we were put in chains and taken in an aeroplane to Tanzania and thrown into prison there,” Moongo said.He remained in prison for two years.Shipanga’s wife lobbied internationally for the release of the group and the prisoners also smuggled letters out.Eventually they were released.Moongo was particularly angered by Ekandjo’s insulting remarks.”They (Swapo) know that history of our arrest very well and yet they call us traitors and puppets,” he told the House.”You say you have the policy of national reconciliation and today you say, ‘let’s reconcile’, but tomorrow you call us names again,” he criticised.DTA president Katuutire Kaura then asked Moongo if he remembered who shot a certain Johannes Nanguturava.”We know who killed him,” Kaura told the House.”He was murdered by you – Swapo, we know who it was!” Moongo said with a raised voice.The Speaker then told him to stick to his speech.Nanguturava hailed from the former Owamboland and apparently formed his own political party in 1969.He then went into exile, allegedly to join the armed struggle, but as a leader of his own party.It is said that Swapo did not like that.
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