President makes plea on mass graves

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba, accompanied by the Chief of Police, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga, and Ohangwena Governor Usko Nghaamwa, visited the two mass graves at Eenhana yesterday morning.

“I was disturbed, when I was in Lesotho last week, to be informed that two mass graves with the remains of the Namibian sons and daughters … have been discovered here at Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region,” President Pohamba said.He called on anyone who can help identify the skeletons, or know the circumstances of their death, to come forward.”I know there must be Namibians among us, who were working in the then South African colonial forces, who are now in our Army or Police units, who might know about these incidents, and I am calling upon them to come out and tell us, and give us information about this, so that we can know who they are, so that we can arrange for them a proper mass funeral,” the President said.He gave the reassurance that people who come forward with information would not be prosecuted.”We have adopted a spirit of national reconciliation already and those who will come out with information, nothing will be done to them.We just need information, so that we can know who has been buried in these mass graves in order to give them a proper funeral, or funerals,” Pohamba said.The President said forensic investigations will be conducted soon to try and establish the details surrounding the deaths.He said it appeared that this kind of killing and burial had taken place at almost all colonial South African army or police bases.”I am again calling upon those who served in those colonial forces, and know about this …please to come out and tell us,” the President appealed.He also urged people who lost relatives during the liberation struggle, who suspect that they might be buried somewhere in the bush, to contact the Police, the regional governor or regional councillors.The Minister of Defence, Ndahu Namholo, and the Minister of Safety and Security, Peter Tshirumbu Tsheehama, visited the site on Friday afternoon.”I really want to know who is buried here, because as the then Chief of Staff of Plan, I was accountable for all of them.I want know what happened to those who went missing …I could not tell their parents, beloved ones and relatives where they were.Now I know that many of those who went missing have been killed and buried in this way, and I want to know who they are,” Namholo said.”We will not sleep until we know who killed these people, and we will not sleep until we know who these people are who have been buried her like this,” he addedhave been discovered here at Eenhana in the Ohangwena Region,” President Pohamba said.He called on anyone who can help identify the skeletons, or know the circumstances of their death, to come forward.”I know there must be Namibians among us, who were working in the then South African colonial forces, who are now in our Army or Police units, who might know about these incidents, and I am calling upon them to come out and tell us, and give us information about this, so that we can know who they are, so that we can arrange for them a proper mass funeral,” the President said.He gave the reassurance that people who come forward with information would not be prosecuted.”We have adopted a spirit of national reconciliation already and those who will come out with information, nothing will be done to them.We just need information, so that we can know who has been buried in these mass graves in order to give them a proper funeral, or funerals,” Pohamba said.The President said forensic investigations will be conducted soon to try and establish the details surrounding the deaths.He said it appeared that this kind of killing and burial had taken place at almost all colonial South African army or police bases.”I am again calling upon those who served in those colonial forces, and know about this …please to come out and tell us,” the President appealed.He also urged people who lost relatives during the liberation struggle, who suspect that they might be buried somewhere in the bush, to contact the Police, the regional governor or regional councillors.The Minister of Defence, Ndahu Namholo, and the Minister of Safety and Security, Peter Tshirumbu Tsheehama, visited the site on Friday afternoon.”I really want to know who is buried here, because as the then Chief of Staff of Plan, I was accountable for all of them.I want know what happened to those who went missing …I could not tell their parents, beloved ones and relatives where they were.Now I know that many of those who went missing have been killed and buried in this way, and I want to know who they are,” Namholo said.”We will not sleep until we know who killed these people, and we will not sleep until we know who these people are who have been buried her like this,” he added