Some Namibians ‘caught in crossfire’ during struggle: PM

PRIME Minister Nahas Angula yesterday acknowledged that some Namibians were “caught in the crossfire” during the liberation struggle, but he stopped short of publicly acknowledging that Swapo committed atrocities.

Angula was the first to speak on a motion introduced by CoD Member of Parliament Tsudao Gurirab to debate the concept, practice and experience of national reconciliation in order to develop guidelines for such a policy. “Many (people) were caught in the crossfire,” the Prime Minister admitted.”We are not saying Swapo never made mistakes.We are human beings and in the crossfire of battle mistakes can happen.”When independence finally was near by 1989, Swapo analysed the situation and resolved that the war had been imposed by foreign powers and these powers were by then leaving the country.We said we should turn the situation around and turn a new page, reach out to the brothers and sisters who fought on the other side and reconcile.”Swapo had the capacity to forgive, he added, and referred to the party’s internal rebellion in 1975-76 in exile, when some members voiced their dissatisfaction with how the party was run.Angula did however not mention that some Swapo members like Andreas Shipanga and Emil Appolus were thrown into jail in exile.The Prime Minister stated that today some of those ‘rebels’ were in high positions in parastatals or in companies.”They were accepted back into Swapo,” he said.”Swapo has the capacity to say ‘sometimes we made mistakes’.This capacity has been undeniable.”The Prime Minister, who did not have a prepared speech, delved at length into the struggle for liberation, despite repeated requests by opposition MPs to come to the point.According to Angula, the South African apartheid regime started to infiltrate Swapo ranks from 1981.”It was a difficult decision Swapo took to detain these people (accused as spies), I feel for people like Kala Gertze,” Angula said.CoD MP Gertze was one of the many hundreds of Swapo members accused of being a South African spy and was detained in the underground dungeons of Lubango in southern Angola for years.Many others perished and disappeared.Angula put the blame on South Africa, which in 1981 “refused to sign” an agreement to grant Namibia independence, causing “many lives to be lost”, according to him.After the Prime Minister had spoken, Nora Schimming-Chase of the CoD rose and commended Angula for his remarks about people being caught in the crossfire.”But is it not time to declare those who were innocent (then) as innocent today?” she asked.He did not respond.CoD leader Ben Ulenga then took the floor and said it was a pity that Angula as Prime Minister had not spoken on behalf of Government, but had dwelled on party-political issues.The history of resistance did not start in 1959 at the Old Location uprising, but much earlier, he said.”Swapo should not be boasting and claim the policy of national reconciliation for itself, when it is for all Namibians and enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.This caused a stir in the House and Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana claimed that Ulenga was distorting history.”Independence and freedom is for all citizens and national reconciliation as well, it cannot be claimed by one political party,” Ulenga said.The debate continues today.”Many (people) were caught in the crossfire,” the Prime Minister admitted.”We are not saying Swapo never made mistakes.We are human beings and in the crossfire of battle mistakes can happen.”When independence finally was near by 1989, Swapo analysed the situation and resolved that the war had been imposed by foreign powers and these powers were by then leaving the country.We said we should turn the situation around and turn a new page, reach out to the brothers and sisters who fought on the other side and reconcile.”Swapo had the capacity to forgive, he added, and referred to the party’s internal rebellion in 1975-76 in exile, when some members voiced their dissatisfaction with how the party was run.Angula did however not mention that some Swapo members like Andreas Shipanga and Emil Appolus were thrown into jail in exile.The Prime Minister stated that today some of those ‘rebels’ were in high positions in parastatals or in companies.”They were accepted back into Swapo,” he said.”Swapo has the capacity to say ‘sometimes we made mistakes’.This capacity has been undeniable.”The Prime Minister, who did not have a prepared speech, delved at length into the struggle for liberation, despite repeated requests by opposition MPs to come to the point.According to Angula, the South African apartheid regime started to infiltrate Swapo ranks from 1981.”It was a difficult decision Swapo took to detain these people (accused as spies), I feel for people like Kala Gertze,” Angula said.CoD MP Gertze was one of the many hundreds of Swapo members accused of being a South African spy and was detained in the underground dungeons of Lubango in southern Angola for years.Many others perished and disappeared.Angula put the blame on South Africa, which in 1981 “refused to sign” an agreement to grant Namibia independence, causing “many lives to be lost”, according to him.After the Prime Minister had spoken, Nora Schimming-Chase of the CoD rose and commended Angula for his remarks about people being caught in the crossfire.”But is it not time to declare those who were innocent (then) as innocent today?” she asked.He did not respond.CoD leader Ben Ulenga then took the floor and said it was a pity that Angula as Prime Minister had not spoken on behalf of Government, but had dwelled on party-political issues.The history of resistance did not start in 1959 at the Old Location uprising, but much earlier, he said.”Swapo should not be boasting and claim the policy of national reconciliation for itself, when it is for all Namibians and enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.This caused a stir in the House and Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana claimed that Ulenga was distorting history.”Independence and freedom is for all citizens and national reconciliation as well, it cannot be claimed by one political party,” Ulenga said.The debate continues today.