patth@ccnysci.UUCP (08/20/89)
Ported from PeaceNET: SOURCE: NAMIBIA SUPPORT COMMITTEE SWAPO'S PATIENCE RUNNING OUT Oshakati, 14 August 1989 - The northern town of Oshakati over the weekend saw one of the biggest rallies ever held by any political party in the country when 35,000 people attended the SWAPO election campaign rally in this previously most militarised garrison town. The SWAPO Election Director, Hage Geingob, told the mass of people attending the rally on Saturday that the SWAPO President, Sam Nujoma, had sent his election team with a message of peace, unity, reconciliation and a call to register and vote. Geingob said: 'We have not come back with our tails between our legs like some others before us. We came with our heads high on our shoulders, for we came back as victors and conquerors'. Geingob who was the bearer of the SWAPO President's message said that South Africa knows that northern Namibia, the region that bore the brunt of the armed resistance of the Namibian people, is SWAPO's base of support. 'South Africa is, therefore out to intimidate the people of this area to such an extent that they do not register and cannot cast their vote for SWAPO in the November election,' he added. He noted that SWAPO is seriously concerned by the mysterious disappearances of registration books in the north. He, therefore, urged the United Nations to prevail upon South Africa to take the registration process in the north seriously; unless that is done the process will not be free and fair. The SWAPO Election Chief noted: 'Intimidation or no intimidation, torture or no torture, Pienaar cheating or not cheating, SWAPO is going to be victorious.' Geingob noted that provocations are becoming too many against SWAPO supporters who are even being beaten up by Koevoet and its political allies. 'We were promised democratic elections, we honoured that, but they are provoking us. If you look around you shall see SWAPO colours of blue red and green all over. How can a person who does not have support keep quiet? They are being frustrated and disappointed, because the elections have already been won by SWAPO.' The SWAPO official pointed out that when intimidated SWAPO supporters go to the UN Special Representative, Martti Ahtisaari, and the colonial Administrator General, Louis Pienaar, to report; they both dismiss the reports. He disclosed that on Friday a group of provocateurs broke into two SWAPO houses in Windhoek and started searching the houses, subsequently subjecting the inhabitants to body searches. Geingob told the rally that President Nujoma had asked his organisation's supporters not to fall for provocations, but instead they should maintain peace, because those who do not have support are the ones who know that they have lost the elections. They therefore want to provoke SWAPO, so that they could use that excuse to abort the whole independence process. Geingob deplored the international press for acting against SWAPO. 'They are making rumours that our President is not coming back because he is afraid of his people'. He then asked the more than 35,000 people whether they wanted President Nujoma to come now. The mass of people answered in the affirmative. The SWAPO President's message appealed to Koevoet members to give up their early deeds and come back to the fold. Geingob stated that SWAPO does not talk of reconciliation out of weakness, but because the country is big, endowed with natural resources and a small population. He added: 'We can live together, white and black, and make the country prosperous for all of us'. At the same rally, Frans Aupa Indongo, a prominent business man and member of SWAPO disclosed that Leonard Nghipandulwa was beaten up on Saturday by Koevoet and DTA supporters while on his way to the SWAPO rally. Indongo also said that cars collecting people from Endola and other areas in the north were blocked by Koevoet and DTA supporters thus preventing people from attending the SWAPO rally. 'While we are preaching peace, others are advocating violence', he noted. SOURCE: NAMPA --- Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange