WINDHOEK – A group of Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) and three of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members of parliament were apparently denied entrance to the Heroes Acre national shrine on Saturday morning, when they had gone to pay their respects to Namibian national heroes.
EFF MPs were in the country to – among others – attend the manifesto launch of NEFF, but the South Africans had probably a visit to Namibia to forget.
Firstly, upon their arrival at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Friday they were held up by immigration officials for two hours for not having visas. They were also asked to produce proof of their invitation to Namibia.
The EFF delegation comprised of party national coordinator, Commissar Mpho Ramakatsa, Commissar for International Relations and Solidarity Magdalene Moonsamy and Commissar for Land Reform and Agrarian Revolution, Andile Mngxitama. EFF leader Julius Malema did not come to Namibia as initially indicated by NEFF leaders.
“Both incidents were a complete violation of human rights because the travelling arrangements drawn up by SADC countries are clear,” said NEFF Commissioner for Communications Olsen Kahiriri yesterday.
“As for the Heroes Acre incident, the laws are clear that everybody can go and pay their last respects to fallen heroes,” Kahiriri said.
Kahiriri said when the NEFF and EFF delegation arrived at Heroes Acre on Saturday, soldiers were already positioned at the entrance to stop the entourage from entering the shrine.
“These people were ready for us and they were even armed. You can see they were operating under orders,” said Kahiriri. In a statement released on Friday, EFF accused Namibia’s ruling party Swapo of lacking respect for democracy and the African agenda.
“It is with horror that the delegation of the EFF were detained for more than two hours for not having visas. We are fully aware of the requirements in SADC in terms of the visa requirements and this does not prohibit the entry of South Africans into SADC countries,” Moonsamy said in the statement. Swapo denied it had anything to do with any of the incidents involving EFF or their hosts.
Party Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba told this newspaper that his party did not have a hand in the matter and that talks implicating Swapo in the incident were mere accusations
“The ruling party does not control immigration. We do not command the uniform people and government workers. Whatever happened at the airport had nothing to do with Swapo,” said Mbumba. Moonsamy went on to say: “The extent to which the ruling party of Namibia has sought to undermine the regional protocol and African unity is an indication of their lack of respect for democracy and the African Agenda.
“The EFF condemns the continuous persecution of the movement for economic freedom that is growing all over the continent and the world. This in particular is similar to the efforts of the President of Botswana who denied a visa application of the CIC of EFF.
“The EFF as part of its visit to Namibia will visit squatter camps, meet with opposition parties and look into the extreme conditions of poverty that the people of Namibia continue to live in. This visit will then conclude with the EFF attending the rally of the NEFF in Katutura on Saturday.”
NEFF’s second in command Kalimbo Iipumbu says the detention of the three South African members of parliament is a sign of Swapo’s tactics of making sure the opposition does not stand up for Namibians.
“Swapo is continuously blinding the people to vote for them to drag them further into poverty. NEFF represents the whole of Namibia when it comes to economic emancipation,” said Iipumbu when addressing reporters at the airport.
Iipumbu vowed that NEFF would accord every Namibian a decent lifestyle should it win the upcoming elections.
“There will always be problems if we keep Swapo in power,” he said. EFF leader Julius Malema was denied a visa by the government of Botswana recently.
Botswana placed Malema on a list of individuals who must apply for a visa to enter the country. Malema had called for regime change in Botswana during his time as ANC Youth League president, a pronouncement which landed him in trouble with the ANC’s top brass. Malema said at the time that Botswana under President Ian Khama was a puppet of the United States of America.