Swapo blames media for election violence

SWAPO has told the media to be extra careful when reporting on violence related to election campaigns.

The party’s Secretary General, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, claimed at a media briefing in Windhoek yesterday that the media had hyped up the electioneering in Omuthiya by alleging violence and intimidation. “Certain newspapers, without any regard to the veracity of the stories, have made themselves guilty of spreading untruth to the public with the views made probably to prepare a soft landing for their preferred parties,” Ithana charged.Ithana was reacting to a story published in Wednesday’s The Namibian.The story alleged widespread provocation and intimidation of Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) supporters ahead of the Omuthiya by-election, which was postponed yesterday.The paper quoted the RDP citing a string of incidents in which their members allegedly suffered at the hands of their Swapo counterparts.Although several incidents were reported, Ithana disputed only two cases.She said one incident, in which the RDP alleged that two of its members were stabbed, as “not politically motivated”.Ithana said Police had investigated the incident at Okongo village and found that a woman had actually hit her boyfriend by accident with a bottle after he tried to break up a fight between her and another man.In another incident, a fight broke out between two men at Osho Bar on February 23 and one of them was stabbed three times.A case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm was opened and the suspect was arrested on February 26, Ithana said.”While all of us, including the news media, have the right to support political parties of their choice, I find it very unpatriotic, inciteful and, in fact, treacherous, to encourage violence in the country when the media go out of its way to publicise inflammatory untruth and politically motivated allegations of intimidation or violence where such did not happen,” Ithana said.Ithana was approached by The Namibian before the initial story was published but responded: “Honestly, regardless of what I will say on this topic, I know you will write it differently as you will have another opinion, so why should I waste my time giving a comment?” Swapo has not made a public call on its supporters to behave democratically.While it has questioned the accuracy of some of the statements translated from speakers who addressed its Omuthiya rally, it has not categorically denied statements made by some of its leaders calling on people to boycott RDP businesses, to deny RDP members water and to not award them tenders.The RDP has charged that Swapo cannot accept competition, having enjoyed a monopoly for 18 years.”Certain newspapers, without any regard to the veracity of the stories, have made themselves guilty of spreading untruth to the public with the views made probably to prepare a soft landing for their preferred parties,” Ithana charged.Ithana was reacting to a story published in Wednesday’s The Namibian. The story alleged widespread provocation and intimidation of Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) supporters ahead of the Omuthiya by-election, which was postponed yesterday.The paper quoted the RDP citing a string of incidents in which their members allegedly suffered at the hands of their Swapo counterparts.Although several incidents were reported, Ithana disputed only two cases.She said one incident, in which the RDP alleged that two of its members were stabbed, as “not politically motivated”.Ithana said Police had investigated the incident at Okongo village and found that a woman had actually hit her boyfriend by accident with a bottle after he tried to break up a fight between her and another man.In another incident, a fight broke out between two men at Osho Bar on February 23 and one of them was stabbed three times.A case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm was opened and the suspect was arrested on February 26, Ithana said.”While all of us, including the news media, have the right to support political parties of their choice, I find it very unpatriotic, inciteful and, in fact, treacherous, to encourage violence in the country when the media go out of its way to publicise inflammatory untruth and politically motivated allegations of intimidation or violence where such did not happen,” Ithana said.Ithana was approached by The Namibian before the initial story was published but responded: “Honestly, regardless of what I will say on this topic, I know you will write it differently as you will have another opinion, so why should I waste my time giving a comment?” Swapo has not made a public call on its supporters to behave democratically.While it has questioned the accuracy of some of the statements translated from speakers who addressed its Omuthiya rally, it has not categorically denied statements made by some of its leaders calling on people to boycott RDP businesses, to deny RDP members water and to not award them tenders.The RDP has charged that Swapo cannot accept competition, having enjoyed a monopoly for 18 years.