Wanted: Hate-placard carrier

THE Police are looking for a hate-placard-carrying protester at a demonstration by the Herero community in Windhoek last month.

A journalist photographed the man walking down Independence Avenue, holding a small poster reading ‘Kill all whites’. Police Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu confirmed yesterday that they were investigating the case, but said no arrest was imminent.He said although the perpetrator’s face was visible on the photo, the man had not been identified yet.”We are looking for the person, but it’s difficult,” he said.”Even the organisers are not being very helpful.Nobody is helping us identify the person.”The demonstration took place through the streets of Windhoek, with Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako leading demonstrators to the Prime Minister’s office to hand him a petition in protest against Germany obtaining a permanent seat on an extended UN Security Council.They also demanded reparations from Germany for the 1904-1907 Herero genocide.The Ovaherero Genocide Committee, which organised the march, has distanced itself from the poster, while Riruako, also the Nudo president, said that the suspect must have snuck in among the protesters to undermine their intentions.The committee said they checked all the placards before the demonstration, and that particular sign had not been among those they approved.A spokesperson for the Committee, Edwin Kanguatjivi, said the Police had taken statements from them yesterday, and they told them all that they knew about the case.”We gave them our stance, our official position, and we gave them the statements we made to the media under oath,” said Kanguatjivi, “and we told them that they should get the (news)papers to blow up those pictures.Someone will come out.”The poster was also condemned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which said it contravened Article 10 of the Namibian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, creed or social or economic status.The Ministry said the poster was also in contravention of the Racial Discrimination Act of 1991.The poster was first condemned by the National Society for Human Right (NSHR), which called on Government to not only apprehend and prosecute the perpetrator, but also to denounce the hate expression.Amulungu called on the public to come forward with information that would lead to the suspect’s arrest.The NSHR said it suspected a group calling themselves ‘The Malcolm X school of thought’ had penned the poster.”We heard from our sources that it might be them responsible for this.We will track them down and eventually we will find the people involved,” NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh said yesterday.Police Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu confirmed yesterday that they were investigating the case, but said no arrest was imminent.He said although the perpetrator’s face was visible on the photo, the man had not been identified yet.”We are looking for the person, but it’s difficult,” he said.”Even the organisers are not being very helpful.Nobody is helping us identify the person.” The demonstration took place through the streets of Windhoek, with Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako leading demonstrators to the Prime Minister’s office to hand him a petition in protest against Germany obtaining a permanent seat on an extended UN Security Council. They also demanded reparations from Germany for the 1904-1907 Herero genocide.The Ovaherero Genocide Committee, which organised the march, has distanced itself from the poster, while Riruako, also the Nudo president, said that the suspect must have snuck in among the protesters to undermine their intentions. The committee said they checked all the placards before the demonstration, and that particular sign had not been among those they approved.A spokesperson for the Committee, Edwin Kanguatjivi, said the Police had taken statements from them yesterday, and they told them all that they knew about the case.”We gave them our stance, our official position, and we gave them the statements we made to the media under oath,” said Kanguatjivi, “and we told them that they should get the (news)papers to blow up those pictures.Someone will come out.”The poster was also condemned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which said it contravened Article 10 of the Namibian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, creed or social or economic status.The Ministry said the poster was also in contravention of the Racial Discrimination Act of 1991. The poster was first condemned by the National Society for Human Right (NSHR), which called on Government to not only apprehend and prosecute the perpetrator, but also to denounce the hate expression.Amulungu called on the public to come forward with information that would lead to the suspect’s arrest.The NSHR said it suspected a group calling themselves ‘The Malcolm X school of thought’ had penned the poster.”We heard from our sources that it might be them responsible for this.We will track them down and eventually we will find the people involved,” NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh said yesterday.