Swapo refuses to condemn Mugabe govt’s rights abuses

SWAPO parliamentarians in the National Assembly yesterday refused to even listen to an opposition motion on rights violations in Zimbabwe.

A state-sanctioned crackdown in that country left at least one person dead, while about 50 pro-democracy activists were beaten up and brutalised after security forces crushed a gathering on Sunday that was organised as a prayer meeting under the ‘Save Zimbabwe’ banner. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, himself an elected Swapo MP, tried in vain to convince Swapo MPs to at least listen to the motion, before throwing it out.But they would have none of it.Ruling party MPs rose as one to muscle aside a motion tabled by CoD leader Ben Ulenga, which proposed that they discuss the “brutal torture and gross human rights violations” against opposition politicians in Zimbabwe.The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai was so badly beaten that his skull was cracked (see page 9).Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku was the cheerleader in rallying Swapo MPs in objecting to the motion, raising his hand when the Speaker asked if there were any objections.”Objection, yes, but (the question is) when to object as we do send a message to the public out there about what happened (in Parliament),” Gurirab said.”I want the leader of the CoD, Ben Ulenga to motivate his motion and then you can object when you know the content of it,” Gurirab said.Once again Hausiku raised his hand to indicate his objection.In a curt tone, the Speaker announced that the House was divided and beckoned all those who opposed Ulenga’s motion to rise.There were 31 Swapo MPs with a voting right present.They rose as one to indicated that they favoured remaining silent on the violence in Zimbabwe.There were no abstentions.All nine opposition members present voted in favour of the motion.”We were also imprisoned,” Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb remarked.Henk Mudge of the Republican Party was absent yesterday but all other opposition parties represented in Parliament jointly held an impromptu press conference during the tea break in solidarity with CoD and their bruised and battered opposition colleagues in Zimbabwe.”Swapo did not heed the advice of the Speaker and simply refused to even listen to my motion, that is totally against democratic principles and a complete denial of the democratic process in our Parliament, that is going too far” a calm, but annoyed Ben Ulenga told reporters.”We as CoD express our total dismay at this refusal of Swapo to discuss what happens in Zimbabwe, let alone Swapo condemning the Zimbabwe situation.”DTA politician McHenry Venaani said it should be a lesson to the Swapo party that human rights were universal and indivisible.”The Speaker, who was Namibia’s first foreign affairs minister and experienced in international diplomacy, wanted to ward off the embarrassment for Namibia with regard to the motion, but they did not listen,” Venaani commented.”What Minister !Naruseb said, was unjustified, as the present situation in Zimbabwe cannot be compared to the erstwhile apartheid regime of South Africa.We do not just defend Morgan Tsvangirai, but opposition parties in general, if it had been a Cabinet Minister leading an opposition party and beaten up, we would have also expressed our support,” Venaani said.”The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has failed Zimbabwe, SADC must act and come out and condemn what is happening there,” he added.Fellow DTA colleague Johan de Waal suspected that the Swapo Party was “hiding something and was afraid that something might come out if the motion would have been debated on”.De Waal said he was worried about a US$40 million investment NamPower promised Zimbabwe during Mugabe’s visit two weeks ago to refurbish a dilapidated power station there.”We don’t know what will now happen to Zimbabwe.”He appeared to be insinuating that the Namibian money could be used for other purposes by the Mugabe government, which is cash strapped and in dire need of foreign currency.Jurie Viljoen of Monitor Action Group (MAG) said Namibia was always lauded internationally for its Government ruling justly.”That requires us to also uphold democracy.What happened today in Parliament was not a victory for Swapo, but a defeat for democracy.In Swapo, individuals do not think for themselves, the group decides.”Swapo Secretary General Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, who is also Minister for Veterans Affairs, expressed the view that foreign policy should be left to the executive arm of Government, being Cabinet ministers and not to the legislative, who are the lawmakers.”They should not hijack Parliament for this issue and make the House a spokesperson for political parties, it is not the right platform.I was not part of the decision and came to Parliament only after the vote on the motion, but in my personal opinion, I think we are going a bit too far bringing this issue to Parliament,” Tjiriange told The Namibian yesterday.”If you allow Parliament that role and let it bark, that could bring war in terms of international relations.”When the US attacked Iraq to get rid of Saddam Hussein, the Namibian Parliament was silent.Women and children were killed there.There is a crisis in Darfur and we Parliamentarians were silent.It is my personal opinion.I do not condone what is happening there (in Zimbabwe), but let us leave it to Government to deal with it … there are platforms to do that,” Tjiriange said.The Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, himself an elected Swapo MP, tried in vain to convince Swapo MPs to at least listen to the motion, before throwing it out.But they would have none of it.Ruling party MPs rose as one to muscle aside a motion tabled by CoD leader Ben Ulenga, which proposed that they discuss the “brutal torture and gross human rights violations” against opposition politicians in Zimbabwe.The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai was so badly beaten that his skull was cracked (see page 9).Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku was the cheerleader in rallying Swapo MPs in objecting to the motion, raising his hand when the Speaker asked if there were any objections. “Objection, yes, but (the question is) when to object as we do send a message to the public out there about what happened (in Parliament),” Gurirab said.”I want the leader of the CoD, Ben Ulenga to motivate his motion and then you can object when you know the content of it,” Gurirab said.Once again Hausiku raised his hand to indicate his objection.In a curt tone, the Speaker announced that the House was divided and beckoned all those who opposed Ulenga’s motion to rise.There were 31 Swapo MPs with a voting right present.They rose as one to indicated that they favoured remaining silent on the violence in Zimbabwe.There were no abstentions.All nine opposition members present voted in favour of the motion.”We were also imprisoned,” Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb remarked.Henk Mudge of the Republican Party was absent yesterday but all other opposition parties represented in Parliament jointly held an impromptu press conference during the tea break in solidarity with CoD and their bruised and battered opposition colleagues in Zimbabwe.”Swapo did not heed the advice of the Speaker and simply refused to even listen to my motion, that is totally against democratic principles and a complete denial of the democratic process in our Parliament, that is going too far” a calm, but annoyed Ben Ulenga told reporters.”We as CoD express our total dismay at this refusal of Swapo to discuss what happens in Zimbabwe, let alone Swapo condemning the Zimbabwe situation.”DTA politician McHenry Venaani said it should be a lesson to the Swapo party that human rights were universal and indivisible.”The Speaker, who was Namibia’s first foreign affairs minister and experienced in international diplomacy, wanted to ward off the embarrassment for Namibia with regard to the motion, but they did not listen,” Venaani commented.”What Minister !Naruseb said, was unjustified, as the present situation in Zimbabwe cannot be compared to the erstwhile apartheid regime of South Africa.We do not just defend Morgan Tsvangirai, but opposition parties in general, if it had been a Cabinet Minister leading an opposition party and beaten up, we would have also expressed our support,” Venaani said.”The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has failed Zimbabwe, SADC must act and come out and condemn what is happening there,” he added.Fellow DTA colleague Johan de Waal suspected that the Swapo Party was “hiding something and was afraid that something might come out if the motion would have been debated on”.De Waal said he was worried about a US$40 million investment NamPower promised Zimbabwe during Mugabe’s visit two weeks ago to refurbish a dilapidated power station there.”We don’t know what will now happen to Zimbabwe.”He appeared to be insinuating that the Namibian money could be used for other purposes by the Mugabe government, which is cash strapped and in dire need of foreign currency.Jurie Viljoen of Monitor Action Group (MAG) said Namibia was always lauded internationally for its Government ruling justly.”That requires us to also uphold democracy.What happened today in Parliament was not a victory for Swapo, but a defeat for democracy.In Swapo, individuals do not think for themselves, the group decides.”Swapo Secretary General Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, who is also Minister for Veterans Affairs, expressed the view that foreign policy should be left to the executive arm of Government, being Cabinet ministers and not to the legislative, who are the lawmakers.”They should not hijack Parliament for this issue and make the House a spokesperson for political parties, it is not the right platform.I was not part of the decision and came to Parliament only after the vote on the motion, but in my personal opinion, I think we are going a bit too far bringing this issue to Parliament,” Tjiriange told The Namibian yesterday.”If you allow Parliament that role and let it bark, that could bring war in terms of international relations.”When the US attacked Iraq to get rid of Saddam Hussein, the Namibian Parliament was silent.Women and children were killed there.There is a crisis in Darfur and we Parliamentarians were silent.It is my personal opinion.I do not condone what is happening there (in Zimbabwe), but let us leave it to Government to deal with it … there are platforms to do that,” Tjiriange said.