“We are tired of humiliation and unfair treatment by the police.” This was the constant chant by members of the Christian Freedom Fighters, who last week staged a demonstration against the Namibian police in Ohangwena.

The group, which demanded an apology from the police, say they were being targeted by law-enforcement and arbitrarily treated by police officers who ordered some church premises to close down. 

They decried this act of the police as unconstitutional. “We respect the law and its principles.  However, after several police interviews with the media as we heard in the recordings circulating on social media, we have realised that the police are wrongly imposing Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation 27 of 1933 on religious rights,” said president of the Christian Freedom Fighters, Festus Thomas, in a petition addressed to the minister of safety and security. 

“Why are the police imposing Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation Act 27 of 1933 upon religious beliefs? Since when did police officers start to be trained and armed with a filming crew and journalists? Why do the police deprive us of our freedom of expression whenever they visit our churches? Due to this misconduct, we reject the police’s move and regard it as unlawful and unconstitutional and it cannot be entertained in any legal, practical framework. 

Thus, we promptly demand explanations.” The church members also took issue with police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga, saying they were shocked by his statement a few weeks ago when he suggested that some “churches were destroying peace in society”.

According to the petitioners, Ndeitunga pronounced himself in an unprofessional manner when he insisted that “those churches must be dealt with”.  “The Inspector General further stated then that he was sending Chief Inspector Christina Van Dunem DaFonsech to the Ohangwena region to deal with those churches, the revival churches. 

His remarks were dreadful, imperious and dangerous to the Christian community,” read the petition. “We also understand that the methods used by the police are some of the tactics they can use to infringe our religious rights in Namibia. They are also some of the many tactics typically used by those against us to destroy our religious rights and beliefs. Prophecy is not criminal, as long as it is not infringing on the rights of others. 

We concluded that this is one of the many tactics used by the Namibian police by criminalising and caging us with the intention to eliminate the poor religions operating without land in Namibia.” 

Approached for comment, Ndeitunga said the country is being governed by laws, and everyone’s dignity ought to be respected.

He stated that the police have nothing to do with the churches that are promoting peace, prosperity and love, and preaching the word of God in an honest manner. “We will never apologise to the churches that are creating hatred, creating disunity, destroying families, friends and neighbours,” he stressed. - fhamalwa@nepc.com.na