RDPYL wants political solution to Caprivi trial

RALLY for Democracy and Progress Youth League (RDPYL) has called for a political solution to the Caprivi treason trial saga that has been ongoing for the last 11 years.

‘IF the Swapo Party-led government is so caring about the [South] Sudanese people who have gone through a secessionist conflict, why is it not doing anything to find an everlasting, political solution by emulating the Sudanese approach or other amicable solutions?’ asked the RDPYL at a recently held press briefing.The party wing said the case has become a burden to the Namibian judiciary and the country’s economy, claiming that the Namibian Government is paying each junior legal officer as much as N$9 000 per day and N$26 000 for each senior council in the Caprivi high treason trial. ‘Not even the apartheid regime has kept people in custody for such a long time on a case whose conclusion is not predictable. Who is benefiting from this case, politically or financially?’ they questioned. The party said Namibia should emulate the Sudanese approach as a conclusion to the Caprivi treason case. It also criticised, amongst others, pronouncements made by Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana who had said that Namibia would not comply with the warrants of arrest out for Libyan Muammar Gaddafi and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. ‘Namibia is currently being viewed as defending those who are suspected to have violated the basic rights and freedoms of their citizens and threatened the international peace and security,’ the party said. It questioned Namibia’s signing of the Rome Statute, saying: ‘No country was dragged screaming to Rome or threatened with the use of force if they did not sign the ICC agreement. Otherwise, the only honourable thing the African leaders and that of Namibia in particular, should do is to confess and issue apologies to their citizens that they were not honest when they ratified the Rome Statute’ the RDPYL stated.