Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi has asked the United States (US) government to grant Namibian women and children who support the party asylum, citing risks of political intimidation ahead of the regional council and local authority elections.
In a letter dated 17 November to US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Swartbooi, without providing evidence, Swartbooi claimed that LPM members are being targeted through state-driven intimidation and military activity in the Hardap and ||Kharas regions.
He accused the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) of blocking the party from contesting in its stronghold areas.
“Today, as the LPM, we are the direct target. We lead regions with the highest natural and land resources,” Swartbooi wrote.
He said the party is seeking acknowledgment and compensation for the 1904 to 1908 genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama people, and accused the Namibian and German governments of hindering a genuine agreement with the affected communities.
“We ask for asylum because the military occupied local authority spaces without permission and remained there during the election campaign,” he said.
Last week, the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs said soldiers conducted a training exercise in the ||Kharas region to enhance their tactical capacities and strengthen their battle skills.
Defence minister Frans Kapofi said the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) is not involved in politics and that recent deployments in the south are part of normal training.
“I do not agree that the NDF is political. These are just concerns. Just because we are training in the south does not make it political.
“The NDF has never gone to anyone’s private property for training. We cannot be told where to train and where not to train,” he said.
The NDF has previously denied political involvement, saying deployments are based on operational needs.
The ECN maintains its processes follow established legal procedures.
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