More charges filed against Sam Nujoma; successor hits back

Interesting developments in a country that doesn't make the headlines very often.

The Namibian National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has filed more charges for human rights violations with the International Criminal Court against the country's founding president Sam Nujoma.

The group says the abuses occurred during the country’ struggle for independence. The group said its action followed the advice from some international human rights groups and after supporters of former President Nujoma as well as partisans of the ruling SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organization) party allegedly threatened staffers of the organizations with bodily harm, reports Voice of America.

NSHR chairman Phil Ya - Nangolo stated, "the Namibian government in particular the SWAPO party have launched attacks on us; issuing death threats, issuing orders of expulsion from this country, and this is a direct result of that [initial] submission we made to the court."

This, he said, provoked a second submission of accusations.

This was not well-received by the government, that is run by the SWAPO organization founded (and until a few months ago presided by) Nujoma.

National and party president Hifikepunye Pohamba attacked the NSHR. According to The Namibian newspaper, Pohamba said that THOSE who don't like Government protecting former President Sam Nujoma must 'pack up and go' and the State would happily give them one-way tickets.

The president said he felt 'embarassed' by the NSHR's actions, contending that Nujoma was a symbol of national unity and stability.

ICC asked to investigate Nujoma

The Nambian Society of Human Rights (NSHR) recently asked the International Criminal Court to investigate former president Sam Nujoma. The group accuses Nujoma and others of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of people during the independence war against colonial South Africa., which ruled Namibia at the time.

The NSHR said it had evidence that bodies were pushed down a deep crevasse near the border with Angola.

The petition calls for Mr Nujoma and three others to be investigated for "instigation, planning, supervision, abetting, aiding, defending and or perpetuating" the disappearances of some 4,200 people.

Nujoma seemed unperturbed by all this. At a regional conference of the ruling SWAPO party (the former liberation movement), he called on Namibians to 'Let Swapo rule forever'.

However, this did not meet with unanimity even among the party faithful, according to The Namibian newspaper.

"This is not how democracy works," a source close to the Swapo national leadership told The Namibian after the opening. "A vibrant democracy has room for other political parties. One cannot say Swapo will always win."

Unlike in nearby Zimbabwe, Namibia is ruled by a party, not a man. SWAPO courageously blocked efforts by Nujoma to rig the constitution to allow the father of the nation to serve as president-for-life. Though some believe that Nujoma is angling for a return to power once the term of the incumbent Hifikepunye Pohamba expires, a plan that would certainly be hindered by an ICC prosecution.

Update: Almost as if to give credence to the accusations about how the then-guerilla organization was run, the secretary-general of SWAPO allegedly made a death threat against the head of the human rights' group who called on Nujoma to be investigated.