RDP condemns Outapi violence

THE town of Outapi in the Omusati Region, which once again experienced violent clashes between supporters of the ruling Swapo party and the RDP opposition party on Sunday, has the potential ‘to be the spark that could put Namibia on fire,’ RDP Secretary General Jesaya Nyamu said yesterday.

‘Omusati has the largest voting population in the country and the fact that the rest of the political parties did not enjoy a free hand to campaign there has provided the ruling Swapo Party with an exclusive and unfair advantage. ‘This amounts to classic rigging, which will predetermine the upcoming elections in two weeks and make them neither free nor fair,’ Nyamu told reporters at a press conference. According to him Omusati was becoming ‘detached’ from the rest of Namibia because of this political attitude, which was undemocratic and unconstitutional. ‘What happened on Sunday at Outapi was reminiscent of a civil conflict with thousands of organised Swapo thugs, some of them armed, setting up roadblocks to attack and stone RDP supporters driving past. It was highly organised, highly managed and highly funded and Swapo councillors are [allegedly] involved, as more people from all over Omusati were trucked to Outapi than are residents there. This was organised from the top leadership of Swapo,’ Nyamu alleged.He said the hatred in the eyes of some of those people, some not even wearing shoes and looking hungry, and the insults hurled at RDP supporters Sunday were worrisome. The RDP Secretary General said the scenario of Omusati being a no-go area for any other political party was reminiscent of Kenya and Zimbabwe during their elections in 2007 and 2008 respectively, which sparked unrest across these countries. ‘It should not be necessary that I and other opposition leaders need to be escorted in our own country by the Police to rallies.’ Nyamu called on the churches, which have formed a coalition to observe the upcoming elections, and on human rights groups to investigate what is happening in the Omusati Region.About two weeks ago, young RDP parliamentary candidate Nicanor Ndjoze and his campaign team were stoned at two different occasions as they arrived at Outapi to register new members and hold house meetings with existing RDP members and supporters. Violence against the RDP at Outapi started about a year ago, when a convoy of over 200 vehicles with Swapo supporters literally drove RDP members and supporters out of the town on November 22 2008.Asked whether the RDP had lodged an official complaint with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) about the unruly conduct of Swapo supporters, Nyamu replied that his party had lost all confidence in that body, saying it was controlled by the ruling party. He also criticised the national broadcaster NBC for its biased reporting in favour of Swapo and mostly omitting events of opposition parties. ‘Every freedom-loving Namibian should suspend paying their NBC television licences forthwith until such time the NBC stops being biased and partisan and starts doing what it should: informing the public,’ he said.