Katima Mulilo
Martin Lukato, the leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), has called on the judiciary to free all high treason suspects as he feels the case is political and requires a political solution.
Lukato believes the Caprivi high treason case should be resolved at an international forum through peaceful dialogue. He holds that the former Caprivi – now renamed Zambezi Region – has never been part of Namibia and supports the treason suspects’ former stance of questioning the jurisdiction of Namibian courts to try them. Lukato further made an audacious claim that should the Caprivi case be taken to an international court, Namibia would lose.
His remarks follow the High Court ruling this week in which Judge Elton Hoff found 30 of the suspects guilty of high treason and murder, among other charges, and acquitted 35 others.
“They have the right to challenge the jurisdiction of Namibian courts, as Caprivi was never part of Namibia. If this matter is taken to the Hague or United Nations Security Council, Namibia will lose,” Lukato stressed, in apparent support of the campaign to secede the north-eastern region.
Although he commended Judge Elton Hoff for setting free over 30 suspects in the case that has dragged on since 2003 – in which over 132 people were arrested in a botched attempt to separate the then Caprivi Region from the rest of Namibia – he noted that government’s refusal to discuss the issue led to the attacks that took place on August 2, 1999.
“Those convicted should be set free and a political dialogue should be arranged between government and the people of Caprivi. If there’s a dispute you should come around the table to discuss it. Government has been snubbing calls for dialogue for far too long and this lead to the revolt of 1999.
“Swapo also revolted against the apartheid regime. Even Mishake Muyongo is ready to come to the negotiation table,” he said, in reference to exiled leader of the secessionist group.
According to Lukato, many parts of the world have seceded through political dialogue without shedding blood. “Eritrea was part of Ethiopia, but broke away and so did Chechnya in Russia, East Timor in Indonesia, and Darfur in Sudan. It is right to rebel against government if it promotes divide-and-rule and dictatorship,” said Lukato, whose party participated in but lost several elections.
He denied claims that the majority of residents of Zambezi are not in favour of seceding from Namibia, challenging government instead to hold a referendum on the matter: “Yes you get people that reject the idea, as with any other issue, but a referendum is a mechanism that can be used to hear people’s opinion. Claims that it’s only a few people supporting this are untrue. Let’s test it, a referendum should prove this.”
The Caprivi high treason case has proven to be the longest-running and arguably the most complex trial in Namibian legal history, in the course of which 132 were indicted for allegedly participating in the conspiracy to secede the Caprivi Strip from Namibia.