Lubango victims break silence on Nujoma’s passing

Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS), an organisation advocating for the alleged victims of Swapo’s Lubango dungeons, has acknowledged the late founding president Sam Nujoma’s role in laying the foundation for an independent Namibia. However, the organisation emphasised that Nujoma’s passing does not erase the painful memories of the horrors suffered by victims during his leadership in Swapo’s exile years.Nujoma, who passed away on 8 February 2025 at the age of 95, was buried at Heroes Acre on Saturday. While many Namibians and international leaders have paid tribute to his leadership in achieving independence, BWS issued a strongly worded statement condemning his failure to address past atrocities.“Indeed, for better or for worse, no man has had more impact on the state and the politics of this country than Nujoma; from the time of the liberation struggle until his passing. Nujoma defined and influenced the destiny of our country both positively and negatively,” said BWS acting chairperson, Oiva Angula.Calls for accountabilityBWS acknowledged Nujoma’s role in Namibia’s independence but stressed that his leadership was also marked by serious human rights abuses. According to Angula, the organisation has long sought accountability for the torture, imprisonment, and disappearances of suspected informants during the liberation struggle, particularly in the notorious Lubango detention camps in Angola.“His leadership as president of Swapo during our war of independence, however, was tainted by the untold suffering, trauma, torture, detention without trial, deaths, and disappearances without trace of hundreds of innocent Namibian freedom fighters in Swapo’s exile camps in Zambia and Angola,” the BWS statement reads.BWS argued that Nujoma had multiple opportunities to confront this dark chapter of Namibia’s history but failed to do so.“Nujoma had an opportunity to decisively deal with the Lubango spy drama way back in exile, but regrettably, his traits of a ‘decisive’ and ‘action-oriented’ leader dithered at the time, leaving the detained PLAN cadres and the movement’s members to suffer at his Gestapo-inspired officers’ whims,” Angula stated.Unanswered calls for dialogueDespite repeated attempts, BWS said it was never allowed to engage Nujoma in an open dialogue about these injustices. The group also criticised what it described as Swapo’s selective approach to reconciliation.“Despite the Swapo Party’s much-vaunted policy of promoting conciliation and forgiveness among former adversaries – perceived or not, the BWS never had an opportunity to engage with Nujoma to achieve forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice á la Desmond Tutu,” Angula said.A chequered legacyBorn in 1929, Nujoma led Swapo for 47 years, overseeing Namibia’s armed struggle against South African rule. After independence in 1990, he became the country’s first president, serving three terms before stepping down in 2005.His leadership in the post-independence years was marked by policies of reconciliation and economic growth, but also by allegations of political suppression and intolerance towards dissent.BWS expressed disappointment that Nujoma passed away without addressing these concerns.“His unfortunate passing has brought an end to his physical existence but has not erased the painful memories of horrors experienced by countless Swapo military cadres and members in exile under his headship,” the organisation stated.Commitment to justice and reconciliationBWS reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice and accountability, stating that the struggle for recognition and reconciliation would continue.“In the meantime, the BWS remains resolute in its efforts, by continuing to engage the leadership of the Swapo Party and our government, to achieve true reconciliation through restorative justice for the Lubango victims – those who had died and remain unaccounted for, and those still alive,” Angula said.

Lubango victims break silence on Nujoma’s passing

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Lubango victims break silence on Nujoma’s passing

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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