Namrights executive director Phil ya Nangoloh has asked forgiveness from Founding President Sam Nujoma, while apologising to the retired statesman “for anything I might have personally said or done to his honour and reputation.”
Below is the verbatim apology as issued by Ya Nangoloh
MY UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY TO FOUNDING PRESIDENT DR. SAM NUJOMA
By Phil ya Nangoloh
1. My fellow country women and men. Yesterday morning I, strictly in my personal and individual capacity, I had sincerely apologized to the great people of Namibia for the gross and systematic human rights violations which, we, SWAPO members, have rained upon our own people during the bitter liberation struggle in exile, under the leadership of Cde Tatekulu Dr. Sam Nujoma.
2. Yesterday I had also asked all other SWAPO comrades, and, most of all, Cde Father of Namibian Nation, Dr Sam Nujoma, as such, to also apologize for said violations against our own people.
3. Yesterday I had also requested all those fellow SWAPO members and other Namibians, who, in one way or another, have been affected by said violations to, please, forgive and understand that, in any armed conflict, serious human rights violations do occur often unintentionally.
4. Hence, please once again forgive me, Father of Namibian Nation, Cde Tatekulu Nujoma, and all other fellow SWAPO comrades, for those very grave breaches against the fundamental human rights and freedoms of our own members and other Namibians.
5. Today, here and now, and, as a champion for human rights as well as a Christian and in complete submission, deference and recognition for his unwavering leadership during difficult times of national liberation struggle against Babylon and her lackeys, I unconditionally, tender my apology to Tatekulu Nujoma, not for NSHR submission to ICC, but for anything I might have personally said or done to his honor and reputation or about him in anger, in the course of my struggle for human rights and freedoms, which might have offended Dr. Nujoma in any way, manner and fashion, whatsoever!
6. I have absolutely no personal hatred for or against President Nujoma in any respects, private or public.
7. So Cde Father of Namibian Nation Nujoma and my able PLAN Commander-in-Chief, I say this to you: Please Forgive Me.
8. I am also apologizing to you, Cde Father of Namibian Nation, in my unwavering honor and memory of Founding Leader of our mighty SWAPO, legendary and visionary, late Tatekulu Herman ya Toivo as well as our venerable former President, Cde Dr Lucas Pohamba, and our incumbent President and Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, Cde Dr. Hage Geingob, Omake Vakwetu.
9. I long and want to see true national reconciliation and peace and national security in prevailing in our great Land. I will continue calling and demanding for the establishment of a Namibia Truth and Reconciliation Commission ("TRC") to probe all and any gross and systematic human rights violations committed, on both sides, during the liberation struggle.
10. Hence, I also personally forgive all former Koevoet and SWATF fighters for having aided and abetted equally gross and systematic human rights violations of the human rights of our people to self-determination by Babylon (i.e. Apartheid regime and its Western imperialist powers).
11. To all our young people out there, I call upon all you to respect all our elders. We need peace in our neighborhoods and our Land.
12. Finally but by no means least, as for our able and respected Secretary General, Cde Sophia Shaningwa, please permit me to say this: Please sign my SWAPO membership card immediately. However, I would also like you and other SWAPO leaders and members to know that I am not, at all, desperate for a SWAPO membership card as I have, in any event, already been efdectively defending our mighty SWAPO against its internal and external enemies without that card.