Dear Editor
“Let me put it explicitly clear that, as human beings, we have never ever claimed to be infallible and we are not hypocrites. If there are crimes being committed by individual members of the Namibian Police Force … those alleged unlawful activities are not state sanctioned and are not condoned. Ours is a democratic and stable government with credible institutions of governance.”
I am greatly puzzled and perturbed and wish to respond to media articles such as “Nampol a killing machine – says US’’ that appeared in newspapers in the past few weeks.
From the onset, the US Embassy in Windhoek must be reminded that successive US governments never condemned atrocities, brutal massacres, torture, illegal occupation and dispossession of our land and murder perpetrated against innocent Namibians by the racist, fascist apartheid regime. Successive US governments never supported the Namibian just cause for freedom, independence and self determination, nor did they express regret and/or apologise for the unbearable sufferings endured by the downtrodden and oppressed people of Namibia, because of colonialism which the Western imperialist powers and the US were associated with and supported. Glory to the bravery of sons and daughters whose blood waters our freedom.
Similarly, today the children of Palestine are dying daily and continue to be victims of white phosphorus, a horrific incendiary weapon that melts the human flesh right down to the bone, with no single condemnation or drastic action from the so-called world human rights champions against the illegal occupiers. Who are the killing machines?
It is regrettable that the US Government have appointed themselves as the world’s policemen and let me put the record straight. Through my own investigations, I learned that the Namibian Police Force did receive two separate notes verbally from the US Embassy in Windhoek, referenced No. 13-228 dated August 14, 2013 addressed to the Inspector General of Police and another dated September 4,2013 through the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Safety and Security, respectively, requesting for information to be compiled in the US Government Country Report on Human Rights. One distinctive question mingled with the human rights questionnaires was, “How many police officers does the Namibian Police have, including the Special Field Force?”
I am further informed that the police sought professional advice from the office of the Attorney General as the Namibian Police Force does not have any Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with the US Government nor do they seem to receive technical support or funding for any of our project(s) and programmes. That may warrant feedback or scrutiny. My sources within the rights positions are of the opinion that ’’in the absence of any international instrument that requires provision of information requested by the US Government, the Namibian Police Force has no obligation in terms of international law to provide any information, whether perceived to be of sensitive nature or not, to the US Government.”
Let me put it explicitly that, as human beings, we have never ever claimed to be infallible and we are not hypocrites. And, if there are crimes being committed by individual members of the Namibian Police Force against inmates and or members of our society, such maleficence is dealt with in accordance with relevant laws, criminally or otherwise. Those alleged unlawful activities are not state sanctioned and are not condoned. Ours is a democratic and stable government with credible institutions of governance.
Further, with regard to Respect of Human Dignity, Article 8, 1 and Article 8, 2 (b) respectively, of the Namibian Constitution stipulate;
– “The dignity of all persons shall be inviolable”;
– “No persons shall be subject to torture or to cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
As is customary practice elsewhere in the world, I believe members of the Namibian Police Force also abide by the law.
I am the first one to admit that there are unethical rogue police officers and that conditions in the police holding cells may be poor and overcrowded but government through the Ministry of Safety and Security is addressing them systematically. But I am told that conditions in the cells are not worse than the prison conditions at the Habibullah, Dilawar and Parwan detention facilities in Bagram, where inmates are held in isolation, chained to the ceilings and beaten and without access to the International Red Cross that is usually guaranteed to all prisoners.
The horrific and tragic events [have been reported in which] the US Government [supposedly] is secretly experimenting with highly toxic and finely powdered zinc calcium sulphate.
I fully agree with Minister [of Regional and Local Government, (Rtd) Major-General Charles] Namoloh’s sentiments in Parliament with regard to these accusations. It is my concerted opinion that the US Government does not merely lack the legal authority to criticize others, but also lacks moral authority to attempt to do so.
We are here dealing with the government with a history of aggression around the globe, far more prolific and deadly than the mere accusations leveled against the Namibian Police Force.
We expect the US Government to honour other country’s sovereignty and respect institutions of legitimate and democratic national governments rather than becoming a leader and initiator of unfounded accusations and unlawful activities.
We are patriotic Namibians and will stay true to this land – where things are not moving in the right direction, they ought to be rectified. But false accusations based on rumours should never be entertained.
Concerned Citizen
Via email (name supplied)