Muyongo Castigates President Geingob on Western Sahara

By Risco Lumamezi

EXILED Caprivian leader Mr. Mishake Muyongo (age 78 years) has castigated the Namibian President Dr. Hage Geingob for chairing the just ended International Conference on Solidarity with Western Sahara’s Independence in South Africa.

Muyongo angrily criticised president Geingob who is the chairperson of the regional bloc of Southern Africa (SADC) for championing the conference convened by SADC from 26 to 27 March 2019 in Pretoria, as an insult to all SADC member States and the entire world.

The meeting was a clarion call to express solidarity with Western Sahara, a colony of   Morocco, whereas seven (7) SADC member states Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia were among the 38 countries that attended a parallel summit convened by Morocco.

These  SADC countries defended themselves that their convention were snagged by United Nations resolution passed in Mauritania last year July and was not rejecting SADC Conference, which also took place on the same date on Monday.

Three (3) SADC Heads of state for Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe attended the conference, including Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Motsoahae Thabane. Brahim Ghali, leader of Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) also attended the conference in Pretoria.

A long serving president in Southern Africa Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (age74 years), a non SADC head of state was also in attendance in Pretoria.

Mr.Muyongo rebuked and disbelieved lobby and advocacy campaigns by Geingob on the calls for self determination of the Saharawi people, instead of resolving his internal unresolved Caprivi political deadlock.

“I do not want to believe that all SADC members and world leaders have agreed to be fooled by Geingob with his utterances and advocacy on the Self Determination of Western Sahara. These leaders have eyes and ears and are very much following of what is happening to the Caprivian people under the Namibian oppression”. He said.

Asked if there was any African country so far, showed solidarity to the Caprivi issue apart from Botswana which currently hosting refugees from the Caprivi region/ Namibia  since 1998, twenty (20) years ago.

Mr. Felix Kakula, UDP Executive Secretary and Acting Secretary for Information divulged to Caprivi Vision that they have contacted Morocco as well and other countries in the world are sympathizing with their case “yes we have countries that now support us but their diplomacy is killing us. You will be aware that there was a parallel meeting with the international conference in SA”

When asked for clarity on how far his UDP party has gone with Morocco and his petition to SADC as this is what people have been waiting to hear from, “we are very aware of the bilateral relations in SADC countries. And the truth is that Namibia lied with regard to the Caprivi political issue as they are hiding behind the judiciary”.

He said they are optimistic of a durable political solution to the Caprivi political conflict to be ironed out sooner than later.

“Until Morocco pronounce itself of a determined direction we can not disclose of anything happening behind the walls” quashed Kakula.

Asked to mention those SADC countries which have listened and shown interest to their call of solidarity on Caprivi case, “I don’t think it is necessary at this point in time, it is not  for us to say thsis one support us and this one does not, I cannot  go that extent. The party does not allow. But wait countries will soon come in the open and state their position which will be good for us…we cannot expose them”

Political marriage of the two major liberation movement in the history of the decolonisation of Africa have been botched , CANU was later swallowed by the liberation movement SWAPO of South West Africa.Muyongo who has since been claiming that during his youthful time at the age of twenty four(24) signed a merger agreement with Sam Nujoma in 1964 in Lusaka to fight for one common enemy, and then people of Caprivi will decide of their independence, which his political opponents in Namibia denied.

He also served as the Vice President of SWAPO during liberation struggle of SWA/Namibia, and later became the first leader of the official opposition party (DTA) in Namibian parliament after Namibia’s independence from South Africa in 1990 up to 1998, when he started claims of seceding Caprivi region from Namibia, now living in exile in Denmark. He is the mastermind of the shootings in Katima Mulilo the capital of Caprivi on August 2, 1999 while the former president of Namibia Sam Nujoma declared the state of emergency which arrested more than 130 men, more than 80 men have been released from prison after their were found not guilty and thirty 30 were found guilty and have been sentenced to prison sentence of high treason ranging between 17 to 50 years, others are still on trial.

However, in his press statement sent to Caprivi Vision, the prominent Caprivi leader who has a colourful history, and who once found CANU (Caprivi African National Congress) in early 1960s together with his political associates, the likes of Brendan Kangongolo Simbwaye who has been allegedly killed by the apartheid South Africa in early seventies(70s). Reprimanded Geingob that “What he is doing cannot be emulated by any reasoning politician and therefore should not be taken serious day and night.”

“Because it is not politics, or diplomacy nor does it make sense, but this is the clear expose of his criminality and fooling those whom he can fool; a liar who has managed to make his Citizens drunk with his lies that Caprivians want to break away from Namibia and now goes on to lie to other Presidents of his pretence, hypocrisy and selective morality which is tantamount to no morality at all.

He spoke of the:

1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development
2. An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance
3. An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law
4. A peaceful and secure Africa
5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics” stressed Muyongo.

He however warned with extreme caution that “the underlined word should come from somebody who is wise, but it is shameful when they are stolen by a thief, who can only say them but is far from them. I quote “The prolonged impasse on the Western Sahara issue will have grave consequences on the functioning of our Union. We can only move forward when freedom is guaranteed to all our citizens. As said by the revolutionary icon of Pan Africanism, Kwame Nkrumah, “Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. They claim it as their own and none can keep it from them.”

“Freedom is not a gift to the people of Western Sahara. It is a right. No one can bestow freedom on the Sahrawi people; for freedom is their birth right, which no one can keep from them and which they must claim as their own.

We should pause and ponder the question: why do the people of Western Sahara not enjoy freedom in the same manner as the rest of Africa’s people?

If Geingob is not a liar and must be trusted and taken serious he should answer the following questions:

Who has the right for Self Determination and who has not that right?

The Caprivi issue of Self Determination does not fall in Pan Africanism only the Saharawi people?”

Muyongo still argue with questions on the political and economic rights between Caprivi and Western Sahara which he all understand that are just the same issues that need political solution at once and for all and he however questioned Namibia on good governance, long trail and respect for human rights “Why Morocco can be said that does not have good Governance but Namibia has, so what is the difference of Western Sahara and the Caprivi political conflict?

Does Namibia have respect for human rights, justice and rule of law by keeping Caprivian political prisoners with the flawed justice system for all the years? Tortured others massacred and put in mass graves, others died of food poisoning while in detention and no investigations conducted? Is that the good Governance, respect for human dignity and rule of law?

Are Caprivians enjoying peace when threatened to be shot in the head if found in a number of more than three people chatting?

Is it peaceful to take an 88 years old man to witness things he has never seen as he is blind and weak due to old age? Mr. Matemwa  Moses  who was picked just yesterday in an open bakkie for a trip of more than 1500km from Caprivi to Namibia, is that the respect for human dignity?

Boster Mubuyaeta spent almost half of the years he has lived in prison, he was among the 43 who were released in 2016. Boster was picked with others by Evans Simasiku around 05:00am this Week on Monday, and was forced to sign documented confessions that he never read and understood. He is facing death threats if he does not cooperate to be a State witness in an ongoing Caprivi High Treason Case (CHTC) against his fellow Caprivians who are in prison for the past 19 years.

In a similar event, this Week Hoster Munuma a younger brother to Progress Munuma who has been in detention for more than 19 years on trial, was arrested and is also under severe death threats by investigators who claims that he is not cooperating by not giving the demanded information in favor of the State, such information is with doubt, but is thought to incriminate himself and him brother. Judge Unengu, seated in his Judge throne yesterday threatened Hoster to face jail time if he does not cooperate. What Justice will Caprivians find in the Namibian Courts?

What justice is there in a trial that never ends, from 1999, now close to 20 years Caprivians are on trial, even the International criminal Court has never yet in its history taken so long on one Case; that is a violation of fundamental rights.

Caprivians who were released after being found not guilty are not compensated for their torture, humiliation and malicious trial for 16 years in prison.

What justice one can say in the Namibian Justice system where Judges consult the SWAPO Party and the President instead of consulting the Constitution of the Country, what a mockery and ambiguity to ethics of Justice System?

While freedom is not a gift from anyone, Geingob should release all Caprivi political prisoners in the Namibian prisons who incarcerated for simply demanding their rights.

He should unban the United Democratic Party (UDP) to allow Caprivians to exercise their political fundamental rights without

Caprivian are humans with blood similarly to the people of Western Sahara, Mahatma Gandhi of India said if you want change, it must begin with you, you are the change that you want. It is hypocritical to demand Morocco to do what Geingob is failing to do.

The preaching always can be good, but is spoiled by the life the preacher lives. People emulate and take serious what they see than what they hear.

You cannot make a hero by talking contrary to what you do; you will either be a master liar who should not be taken serious.

In conclusion, I call for all Caprivians to find access to the statement made by President Geingob this time around, help each other to read it consciously because as Geingob is fooling world leaders, he is also insulting Caprivians who do not see what he is doing.

Caprivi Strip is illegally occupied by the Namibian Government, an engagement to find a suitable political solution remains fundamentally viable as human beings.”

Probing questions to hear response on the matter, Secretary for Press in the office of Namibian president Geingob Dr. Alfredo Hengari, his phone remained unanswered.