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Misanet.com / The Namibian, 16 May - A human rights group has called for the abolition of the Government Co-ordinator of Human Rights, saying the office had made "no meaningful contribution to the defence of human rights in Namibia". On the contrary, it was "misleading" about the deteriorating human rights situation in Namibia. The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), responding to a report in The Namibian, yesterday said the Government Co-ordinator of Human Rights, Utoni Nujoma, "attempted to mislead" the African Commission on Human and People's Rights when he presented Namibia's "periodic report" to the agency of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The organisation said "if Nujoma cannot admit" abuses that have occurred in Namibia they would "question the relevance of his post and view it as a waste of tax-payers' money". Although Nujoma admitted to the Commission that Namibian security forces committed gross human rights atrocities, particularly in the Caprivi, he said; "There are excesses in every situation, look at the Americans, if they know there are civilians there, they anyway send their ballistic missiles. But we are told we must treat these people nicely under international human law." On allegations of government attacks on the media, Nujoma had said "in Namibia you can write any rubbish you want .... We have a lot of newspapers writing whatever they feel." Commissioner Barney Pityana from South Africa noted that attacks on the press "raised grave concern about the freedom of the press in Namibia" and that threats of deportation of judges who were not Namibian citizens had a "chilling effect on the independence of the judiciary". Pityana also talked about the call of President Sam Nujoma and Government ministers for gays to be imprisoned and deported. Despite the assurance from Nujoma that authorities were taking steps against the culprits, most commissioners based their questions about violations on a NSHR report, indicating that the Government report did not detail abuses. Said the NSHR: "Any human rights institution that rubber-stamps or is an apologist for government abuses can only be regarded as being a puppet and a reactionary of the highest order." Asked to comment, Nujoma chided The Namibian for its report published on Monday. He said what was published "is absolute rubbish, nonsense and distortions". - It is not a true reflection [of what was presented], he fumed, adding: "You have misled the public and the international community." Nujoma, without listening to the reporter, accused the newspaper of destroying Namibia's image. He then slammed down the telephone. Nujoma would not say what was distorted, except to say this reporter should have carried his written report. The Namibian published the written report last year when Utoni Nujoma was scheduled to present it at the commission's meeting in Cotonou, Benin, last year. The "periodic report" was only presented last month in Libya. The NSHR also took issue with Nujoma for referring to them as an "anti-Government body led by defected Swapo members". According to the NSHR they are not anti-Government but "anti-human rights abuse"." - Nujoma Junior should be reminded that Swapo was the same body that committed untold atrocities against innocent Namibians (including his own mother Kovambo Nujoma) in the dungeons of Lubango and other other detention camps in Angola, Tanzania and Zambia before Namibia's independence, the NSHR said. Nujoma's comments in the news report by The Namibian had been reproduced from a transcript of the hearing in Libya provided by the South African Human Rights Committee.
Based on articles by Tangeni Amupadhi (The Namibian)
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