Ya Nangoloh Takes Issue With Pohamba

9 May 2011

Executive Director of NAMRIGHTS, Phil ya Nangoloh, charged that President Hifikepunye Pohamba is deliberately trying to tarnish the image of the human rights body.

Pohamba is reported to have called the body a “diminutive human rights organisation” in an interview on National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) radio and television news on Cassinga Day.

President Pohamba is further quoted as having said that a NAMRIGHTS activist has undertaken to accompany the Police to a mass grave west of Kavango, but that the activist then declined to do so.

“It is very sad that President Pohamba – who only emphatically urged us, Namibians, to ‘see each other and treat each other with respect and dignity, irrespective of our race, gender, religious or political affiliation’ on on April 27, 2011 – now turns around and contradicts himself on the objectives of his nationhood and national pride campaign,” said ya Nangoloh.

NAMRIGHTS rejected Pohamba’s accusations and wants proof – in the form of a document or a recorded audio or video statement – that NAMRIGHTS “and the unidentified human rights activist” declined to point out the alleged mass graves west of Kavango.

Ya Nangoloh said NAMRIGHTS has made a written offer to the “Pohamba Administration” to assist it in the identification of the alleged mass graves on August 6, 2009.

This offer, ya Nangoloh said, still stands, “provided that such assistance will not be used for the hurling of further hostile accusations or cheap party-political propaganda” directed at NAMRIGHTS or any of its representatives.

The organisation said such an identification should be done in full view of the State and private news media, “if such a mission will ever see the light of day”.

Ya Nangoloh said Government has, so far, failed to reply to a May 15, 2009 request from the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance to indicate whether it has undertaken any specific investigation into the mass graves allegations.

“We urge them to do so without any further delay,” added ya Nangoloh.

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