Namibia: ANC league 'incites Namibian violence'

ANC HATE EXPRESSION LESSON FOR NAMIBIAN YOUTH LEAGUE

October 21 2008

Namibia’s National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) strongly condemns the extraterritorial hate expression attributed to African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng Province Youth Leader Jacob Kawe over the weekend. Prominent media reports yesterday quoted Kawe as saying:

“Destroy those political cockroaches, they are in your kitchen [...] We fear no one, not even our leaders, we tell everyone opposing us to go to hell!”

By “destroy[ing] those political cockroaches”, Kawe was apparently referring to supporters of Namibia’s Opposition parties and other Government critics. He reportedly made the incendiary remark on Sunday, October 19 2000, during a public electioneering rally organized by Namibia’s ruling Swapo Party’s youth wing. Kawe and other ANC Youth League members were invited to act as special guests to the said rally. The rally reportedly took place on the premises of Hand in Hand for Children, a German-funded NGO, in the northern section of Windhoek’s Katutura suburb. Windhoek is the Namibian capital.

South Africa’s Gauteng Province, where Kawe and his colleagues hailed from, was recently scene of grisly xenophobic violence perpetrated against mostly law-abiding migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers seeking a safe and better life for their families among South Africans. Dozens of the victims were executed in a most brutal fashion while many others were left homeless and destitute.

“Such xenophobic attacks disturbed the international conscience. Kawe’s hate speech has fuelled fears in human rights circles in this country that the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), which hosted Kawe and his delegation, could carry out Kawe’s instructions and attempt to destroy Swapo Party’s political opponents here. Violence is never conducive to free and fair elections. Moreover, in response to Kawe’s incitement to violence, SPYL Secretary Elijah Ngurare reportedly urged his ‘young lions to roar’ presumably against such opponents. Africa has had enough of crimes against humanity”, said NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.

The remarks by Kawe have the potential of igniting Namibia and of harming the image of popular ANC President Jacob Zuma. Swapo Party Secretary General Ms. Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana announced in Windhoek yesterday that Zuma is expected to arrive in Namibia early next month for talks with Namibia’s ruling Swapo Party leadership.

“Zuma’s visit to Namibia will be closely monitored and from this it will become clearer whether Kawe’s remarks represent a general trend within the ANC or this is an isolated incident”, ya Nangoloh added.