Confusion over Namibian graves

2005-11-27 11:04

Windhoek - The recent discovery of several mass graves in northern Namibia dating from the apartheid-era has reopened wounds nearly 16 years after independence.

It has also fuelled calls for the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission similar to the one in South Africa where apartheid perpetrators were absolved from prosecution for testifying and showing remorse.

"I wonder how these people died, how were their last moments," said Pauline Dempers, whose husband went into exile to join the military wing of the South West Africa Peoples' Organisation (Swapo) before independence, but never returned.

"South Africa and Namibia are sharing a common history... we need to take a participatory and inclusive approach to develop a policy to address our past collectively," Dempers said in a letter sent to the local media.

Two mass graves were found earlier this month at a former South African military base near the village of Eenhana about 850km northeast of Windhoek and three more sites were discovered at the base a few days ago.

It is believed they contain remains of Swapo freedom fighters since shreds of uniforms, which were worn those days, were also discovered in the graves.

According to the regional police commander, deputy commissioner Armas Shivute, the latest Eenhana discovery indicated that the dead were "burnt badly and possibly killed with explosives".

Another two graves were found recently close to nearby villages after locals informed the police, telling them they dated back to 1983 and 1985.

In response to a request of the Namibian government, South Africa will send five forensic experts to Namibia next week to help investigate the mass graves.

Namibia's president Hifikepunye Pohamba visited the site of the first mass grave at Eenhana shortly after their discovery and called on former soldiers of both sides of the liberation struggle to come forward with more information.

During Namibia's fight for independence from apartheid South Africa, several hundred members of the local Owambo-speaking communities served in the notorious "Koevoet" (Afrikaans for "crowbar"), a South African counterinsurgency unit.

The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) called for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate atrocities committed by Swapo fighters and those of South African soldiers and police during the liberation struggle.

"A law should be passed to set up the commission which should investigate and compel relevant persons to testify," NHSR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh told AFP.

"Without such a commission we will never close that sad chapter of our history as the discovery of the mass graves has shown.

"I wonder why the Swapo government did not exhume the dead straight after independence to rebury them, the government kept silent," he added.

But former president Sam Nujoma said a truth commission was not necessary, because the Namibian government had adopted the "policy of reconciliation" at independence in 1990.

"This policy is in place, nobody was condemned since independence and no truth commission is necessary, Namibia does things differently", Nujoma told reporters at a news conference Thursday.

"In fact members of the notorious Koevoet police unit were included to serve in the new Namibian defence force and police," Nujoma added.

- AFP