RALLY for Democracy and Progress (RDP) demonstrators who moved their tents from the Supreme Court to the Parliament Gardens on Monday have been ordered to move again.
The party’s secretary for information and publicity, Jeremiah Nambinga, yesterday said the police were not against the demonstration and sit-in at the start, blaming political interference for the police’s decision to have them removed from the area in front of the Supreme Court. ‘This decision was politically motivated. I am sure the police were instructed by politicians not to allow us to demonstrate at the Supreme Court,’ Nambinga said. On July 4, the RDP requested Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga to provide security as may be required for the sit-in around the Supreme Court from July 15. On July 13 Ndeitunga wrote back to the party to inform it that the request was receiving all necessary attention, and that Khomas regional commander Festus Shilongo had been instructed to provide security. As far as ground security goes, wrote Ndeitunga, the party should liaise with commissioner Shilongo. And on July 11, Shilongo issued a directive to various police units in which he said the police must ensure that the demonstration is monitored, that officers are deployed at the site, and that ‘national and intentional hindrance or possible aggression factors are analysed’. So, in principle, Nambinga argued, the Police did not have a problem with the demonstration and ‘sit-in/camping’. But on Monday, a day after the demonstrators descended on the area around the Supreme Court, Shilongo instructed the party to vacate the premises by 14h00 that same day. Shilongo invoked the Demonstration in or near Court Buildings Prohibition Act of 1981, and AG Proclamation No 21 of 1985. This angered the RDP, who charged that the police had ‘shamefully invoked colonial draconian laws’ to suppress the demonstration. ‘Twenty-two years after independence, an official opposition is treated like a black mamba. One can say the birds have nests to rest on; snakes can go into holes,but the RDP as an opposition does not have a place in Namibia,’ said Nambinga. ‘Swapo Party leaders are on record to condemn colonialism and imperialism, but today those people find refuge in colonial laws to victimise the people. ‘The RDP finds it extremely difficult to be convinced that the colonial oppressive laws can supersede the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia,’ he continued. Nevertheless, the party has decided to withdraw from the Parliament Gardens in order to avoid a confrontation with the police. ‘This should not be seen as an act of cowardice, but we act as a responsible party,’ Nambinga said. Many of the youthful demonstrators yesterday morning said they would not move, but Nambinga stressed that the event was not one of the youth wing, but of the mother party; the youth will thus have to toe the line.The demonstrators will be moved to the Shalom Centre in the Goreangab Dam area where they will sleep, and return to the Supreme Court during the day where they will continue with their demonstration. On the issue that the RDP stands accused by some opposition parties of having gone into the demonstration unilaterally, Libolly Haufiku of RDP said in April all opposition parties that are applicants in the 2009 National Election appeal case gave the Supreme Court 30 days to say when the verdict can be expected. After the 30 days lapsed, the parties agreed to take other democratic actions. For this, a committee of all parties was established, which was chaired by Nudo, but the party reportedly failed to call a meeting of the parties to plan their follow-up actions. Haufiku said the RDP members pressed the party leaders for action, hence the decision by the party to proceed on its own. A letter was reportedly sent to the RDP head office by ‘a group of [opposition] parties’ to address the matter, but the RDP said it never received such a letter. ‘There is no war between us and other parties, not that we are aware of. The other parties cannot prevent us to move ahead, but we welcome them to join us,’ said Nambinga.
