Police knew of 1972 mass grave: Minister

THE Minister of Safety and Security yesterday launched a stinging attack on a human rights organisation and its executive, claiming they had misled the public about an allegedly unknown mass grave, although local people had known about it for more than 30 years.

In a ministerial statement, Minister Nickey Iyambo told the National Assembly that between the first public disclosure of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) early last month and a second media briefing two weeks later, the top Police command had contacted the organisation. “Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga contacted the NSHR Executive Phil ya Nangoloh on September 10, a day after his first press conference on the ‘mysterious graves’, to establish if he was aware of the implications of his allegations to the country.He was asked if he was willing to accompany a (Police) investigation team to the mass grave sites.”According to Minister Iyambo, the trip to northern Namibia took place on September 18.On arrival, the Police team found that it was the site where several Namibian men were buried after being shot and killed in January 1972 at Epinga village, Iyambo said.He said people had known about the grave all along, “even some in the investigation team as they were born in a village near that site”.”Mr Ya Nangoloh realised that the grave was not his discovery – as a result he changed his story as per his press release on September 23,” Iyambo charged.”Both NSHR September press conferences were widely reported in the media.”The NSHR executive on September 23 provided the names of those buried in that grave – as if he did not know them before his previous press conference (on September 9),” Iyambo said.”Those governments, international organisations and perhaps Namibians believing that Ya Nangoloh is a serious human rights representative, must know they are dealing with a mercenary who is using human rights as a springboard to get recognition or financial reward or alternatively, he wants to tarnish the names of gallant Namibian leaders and her people”, the Safety and Security Minister claimed.Since the September 18 visit, Police had guarded the site until this week Tuesday, according to the Minister, “to avoid tampering of some sorts taking place and not knowing Mr Ya Nangoloh’s next move”.People living near the grave had gathered each year around Heroes’ Day to commemorate the 1972 shooting, the Minister said.”The Namibian Government was doing everything in its power to clarify issues of national and international dimensions and respond at an appropriate time,” Iyambo stated.”Government is in charge and will give feedback – refutable information is needed.”The Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, warned the media “to be truthful in their reporting and not to appear is if they associate with Phil ya Nangoloh”.The NSHR Executive never informed the media that he had gone to the site with the Police.Instead, Ya Nangoloh showed new photos from his second visit on September 18, depicting the grave cleared from shrubs and overgrowth.”We do not know who did it and the fresh vehicle tracks next to it are unknown to us,” he told reporters on September 23.Attempts to reach Ya Nangoloh yesterday afternoon were unsuccessful.NSHR spokesperson Dorkas Fillemon said he was out of town.Asked why the organisation had withheld information about the trip, she promised to comment later.The Namibian spoke to Senior Curator Betty Hango of the National Museum on Tuesday.She undertook an official trip to the 1972 grave in 2005 and to Epinga village, where the shooting had taken pace.She interviewed eyewitnesses and three survivors.”That grave is known very well to the local people, there is nothing new about it,” she told The Namibian.”Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga contacted the NSHR Executive Phil ya Nangoloh on September 10, a day after his first press conference on the ‘mysterious graves’, to establish if he was aware of the implications of his allegations to the country.He was asked if he was willing to accompany a (Police) investigation team to the mass grave sites.”According to Minister Iyambo, the trip to northern Namibia took place on September 18.On arrival, the Police team found that it was the site where several Namibian men were buried after being shot and killed in January 1972 at Epinga village, Iyambo said.He said people had known about the grave all along, “even some in the investigation team as they were born in a village near that site”.”Mr Ya Nangoloh realised that the grave was not his discovery – as a result he changed his story as per his press release on September 23,” Iyambo charged.”Both NSHR September press conferences were widely reported in the media.”The NSHR executive on September 23 provided the names of those buried in that grave – as if he did not know them before his previous press conference (on September 9),” Iyambo said.”Those governments, international organisations and perhaps Namibians believing that Ya Nangoloh is a serious human rights representative, must know they are dealing with a mercenary who is using human rights as a springboard to get recognition or financial reward or alternatively, he wants to tarnish the names of gallant Namibian leaders and her people”, the Safety and Security Minister claimed.Since the September 18 visit, Police had guarded the site until this week Tuesday, according to the Minister, “to avoid tampering of some sorts taking place and not knowing Mr Ya Nangoloh’s next move”.People living near the grave had gathered each year around Heroes’ Day to commemorate the 1972 shooting, the Minister said.”The Namibian Government was doing everything in its power to clarify issues of national and international dimensions and respond at an appropriate time,” Iyambo stated.”Government is in charge and will give feedback – refutable information is needed.”The Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, warned the media “to be truthful in their reporting and not to appear is if they associate with Phil ya Nangoloh”.The NSHR Executive never informed the media that he had gone to the site with the Police.Instead, Ya Nangoloh showed new photos from his second visit on September 18, depicting the grave cleared from shrubs and overgrowth.”We do not know who did it and the fresh vehicle tracks next to it are unknown to us,” he told reporters on September 23.Attempts to reach Ya Nangoloh yesterday afternoon were unsuccessful.NSHR spokesperson Dorkas Fillemon said he was out of town.Asked why the organisation had withheld information about the trip, she promised to comment later.The Namibian spoke to Senior Curator Betty Hango of the National Museum on Tuesday.She undertook an official trip to the 1972 grave in 2005 and to Epinga village, where the shooting had taken pace.She interviewed eyewitnesses and three survivors.”That grave is known very well to the local people, there is nothing new about it,” she told The Namibian.