WINDHOEK – The presidency yesterday said it would not yet comment on the latest apology issued late on Wednesday by Gabrielle Lubowski, former wife of the slain struggle veteran Anton Lubowski.
Gabrielle issued a one-sentence apology saying: “I, Gabrielle Lubowski, issue an unconditional apology to Dr Hage Geingob and retract my words in the draft letter of 16 June 2019.”
But, Presidential Press Secretary Alfredo Hengari, speaking to New Era yesterday morning, said State House is still studying Gabrielle’s apology and unable to comment on the apology at the moment. Lubowski’s expression of regret follows a first one that was rejected by President Hage Geingob through his lawyer Sisa Namandje earlier this week.
According to the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Namandje rejected the first apology saying: ‘Lubowski’s apology was not good enough and they are going ahead with legal action unless she offers an unconditional and clear apology and retraction.’ Gabrielle, in an open letter leaked last week suggested that Geingob is linked to the death of “her husband”, Anton Lubowski, a revered activist during apartheid who supported Swapo’s cause. “You were the last person Anton spoke to,” Gabrielle said, in an open letter that leaked last week. “He shared information with you that was so sensitive, that the two of you could not even sit down for a cup of coffee, but had to walk along Kaiser Street (now Independence Avenue) so that no one could hear the conversation. A few hours later, Anton was dead,” she wrote.
“I still want to tell you that you have taken everything from us, by first betraying Anton and then smearing his name.”
Namandje, in a letter shared by the presidency, demanded that Gabrielle retracts her allegations and unconditionally apologises to the Head of State by not later than this past Monday, June 24. Namandje said Gabrielle falsely made these allegations knowingly to whip up public anger against the President and to portray him as unworthy of occupying the office of president. Speaking to New Era from South Africa last week, Gabrielle confirmed that she authored the letter, but only shared it with five people.
She described the letter as a “test round” which she shared confidentially with those close to her and had not sanctioned its release into the public domain. “The open letter that I sent in confidence was not meant for the media, although I indicated I will send a letter to the media if I do not get a response [from Geingob],” she said.
Lubowski defended political prisoners and got involved with the Namibian trade union movement in the capacity of secretary of finance and administration of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).