5 February 1988

Inside today: Seminar on conscription in Khorixas Extraordinary national consultative conference convened for February 27 'and 28 ..........~---------- ..BYGWENUSTER ......____________ .... _ sw APO will be holding an Extraordinary National Consultative Conference on February 27 and 28, the main thrust of which will be to fill vacancies which have arisen in the Politburo. Swapo Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr Niko Bessinger, confirmed yesterday that a meeting last Saturday, which was attended by most branch and regional chairpersons, had mandated the Politburo to organise such a conference. Already, he said, chairpersons of both branches and reiions throughout the country were starting to meet with grassroots membership in order to propose items for the agenda as well as representatives to attend the Conference. The move to hold an extraordinary conference is seen by observers as a crucial step towards effective mass mobilisation and democratic accoun tability in the organisation. Observers also believe that new faces will emerge in the Swapo leadership ranks, and others phased out in the course ofthe meeting. Mr Bessinger said this week that a meeting of the Politburo and branch and regional chairpersons, numbering about 20 people, had been held last Saturday. Described as a 'purely ad miiristrative consultative meeting', it had been decided to mandate the Polit buroto convene the Extraordinary Na tional Consultative Conference on February 27 and 28. All branches were to select five representatives each to at tend the Conference; all regions were similarly to select five representatives each; and in addition to the Polit buro, the Women's -Council would send five delegates, and simil~ly, the Swapo Youth League. It was estimated, Mr Bessinger said, that bet ween 200 to 250 peoplewouldbe atten ding the conference. Branches and regions had been given a two-week period in which to consult with their membership and forward both items for the agenda, as· well as the names of their representatives, to the Politburo. Already, Mr Bessinger said, last Saturday's meeting had drafted SWAPO Foreign Affairs Secretary, Mr Niko Bessinger, who announc - ed that an extraordinary national consultative conference would be held Continued on page 2 on February 27 and 28. To spy or D.ot to spy? YO'UNG CHILDREN HIT AND WOUNDED BY SADF GUNFIRE A MAN claiming to have been a captured PLAN fighter visited The Namibian this week, requesting the newspaper to inform the . THE BULLET allegedly fired by me.mbers of the SADF and public at large that he was "neither an informer nor a collaborator which hit a young five-year-old boy in the stomach. The bullet with the Boers:' was handed in at the offices of the Ovambo Administration by the parents of the children. The SWATF had not replied to Mr Julius Phillipus, 27, who claims allegedly shot and wounded in the the allegations at the time of going to press yesterday. to be a dealer in clothing, in a face-to right shoulder. -face interview, told this ·newspaper "I managed to escape back into the (Full story inside today's edition). that he was "very, very sad and unhap People's Republic of Angola for treat py;' because everybody accused him of ment at one of PLAN's health clinics. " spying for the colonisers and That was in 1980,andlreturnedtothe oppressors" . front shortly again, where I was then . ANGOLA DENIES USE The D,an claimed to have fled from operating in the Otjiwarongo-Tsumeb Namibia in 1977 for Angola where he Grootfontein-Otavi area." allegedly joined PLAN before return He claimed further that he was cap OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS ing to the country three years later. tured at gunpoint and arrested in Ot Julius Phillil>us, 27, who says peo He claimed that as a guerrilla, he jiwarongo during broad daylight, but - INSIDE TODAY ple allege he is a spy because he was "quite active in the operational while fast asleep in a workers' wears good clothes and drives a area;' especially in the Kunene and nice car. Now he can't sleep. surrounding areas, until he was Continued on page 2 2 Friday February 5 1988 THE NAMIBIAN He also claimed that while in deten Asked about the 'Buffalo belt' he was tion, police would show them sporting, Mr Phillipus said he did not Former PLAN fighter says he's no spy photographs of the Swapo leadership know whether it had any special mean (internai), and tell them that they ing. He claimed to have bought it at worked nicely together. some shop in Windhoek, but did not Continued from page 1 "Nel told methatl should not be as know which shop. stupid as the Swapo leaders outside, I He could also not explain why his compound. must be as clever as the internal drivers' licence was issued at Tsumeb He further claimed that the arrest Swapos and also have a nice time like in March 1987, while he was only was in 1982, saying that: "many BOers they all do. I kept on refusing to accept released in May of that year. arrived there and they already had all their offers and they threatened me His identity document says he is information on me. They took metojail with death. I said I do not care what Julius Phillipus, with numbers; 10 55 at Otjiwarongo, where I was badly they do to me for I was only a prisoner 011011 00898, while he initially told assaulted until I took them to the place of war, and nothing else. Many of my this newspaper that his name is just where I hid my weapons. There were friends, like Neto and Nauta accepted Jerry; other combatants as well who told me the bribes, but later changed their Also asked whether he did not fear tojustspeak up ifl wanted things to be minds and actively joined the Boers. reprisals or re-detention, the man easy:' he claimed. They are presently in northern claimed that he was "certain they Mr Phillipus also told this Namibia fighting against their own won't." He ignored a request to newspaper that he had been held at people:' he alleged. elaborate. various points of detentions, but main He vehemently denied a charge from ly at Windhoek, Osire and Seeis. He further claimed that he was held his interviewer that he was perhaps "a He claimed that while in Windhoek, incommunicado, and punished by plant, and merely seeking credibility:' a certain Lieutenant Nel and a Colonel refusal for extended periods offood and saying "other good friends recom Badenhorst, amongst others, allegedly water. He allegedly became good mended The Namibian:' for the repeatedly offered him bribes amoun friends with a constable Duppie, who purpose. ting to R1 500, but he turned their of in 1985, gave him a copy of The Nami The man concluded that "The Boers fersdown. bian in the cells. He was allegedly also . are never going to break Swapo, and "They used to give usR200to go out introduced by the very constable Dup they know it themselves. And I also for say two to three days to spy on peo pie to a certain white businessman know that ifsomethinghappens to me, ple, and to come back and report if we who offered him ajob over weekends. it will definitely be the Boers:' s~w any PLAN combatants. They told The man claimed that Duppie ar us, me and a colleague Sakeus Hango, ranged that he goes free over weekends (The Namibian has been ap who used to work for Nictus, that there to sell clothers in the townships, and proached by several people who were many combatants that in that he was earning a certain commis say they are accused of being filtrated the country, and that we sion from the profits. spies but protest their innocence. should work with them. He could, however, not remember the Unfortunately the newspaper is "I repeatedly told them that my con name of the businessman or the shop. in no position to vouch for such science would never allow me to fight Mr Phillipus claimed that he was sud people, so it is left for readers to against my own people, and that they . denly released in May, last year, and make their own judgement on could kill me, or detain me continuous that he is now a free man. No condi these issues. - Editor.) ly if they so wished. Everytime they . tions were allegedly attached to his (Oshifo shino ohashi kundu aan ·gave me the R200 I just went out and release. tu oyendji haye ya taa ti haIa squandered the money and then I He claims to have saved enough okwoopalekitha omadhina gawo. would tell them that I have not seen money from the profits he was making Aniwa ohaa longele kumwe any combatants, or that I merely heard while allegedly in custody enabling noomBulu (nande pahapu dhawo of some in Owambo." him now to live a "good life:' hasho). Omulumentu ngashi On further questions concerning the "It is not my fault that I was releas nguno gwehokololo ndino money (R200), the ll)anclaim~ that he ed unconditionally. People are just ogumwe gwawo. Oshifo shika thought it <;ame from the Red Cross or jealous about my nice car, and the 'The Namibian' otashi eta· ngeyi . from Amnesty International. clothes that I wear. Now they say I am ehokolo lyamwene ngashi a haIa He claimed that police would always a spy. This makes me so angry. I can "okwoopalekitha" edhina lye. believe him ifhe said he did not see any not even eat or sleep peacefully at N ando tse katu na eulliko lya yela Swapo fighters.

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