15 January 1988
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Louwrens Erasmus dismisses "scare stories" about malaria • Inside today 'REJECT C -UP'PLEA Council of Churches calls on SA not to conscript Namibians, saying it's "forced labour" for the SADF ------------By GWEN LISTER--....;--------- THE COUNCIL of Churches in Namibia (CCN) has called upon the South African TWO DEAD AFTE Government to stop conscripting N amibians into the South African Defence Force. In a statement by CCN General Secretary, Dr Abisai Shejavali; who had been ap proached by many young Namibians seeking advice on how to legally resist conscrip OSHAKATIMORTAR tion, the Council described the call-up of N amibians as "tantamount to providing forc ed labour for the South African Defence Force". Dr to serve the government ofthe day ..." ATTACK BY PLAN Shejavali said on further inquiry how Namibian parents are expected to that many young Namibians, some of simply surrender their sons to support What he described asthe "inflexible : . .. them still at school, has received call the oppressive structures of col Continued on page 2 up papers for service in the SADF. Dr onialism and apartheid and to further THE military base atOshakati was this week once again the Shejavali added that "many ofthem' , delay Namibia's independence and its target of an attack by insurgents from the People's Libera had approached the Council for advice peoples' right to self determination". tion Army of Namibia (PLAN). on how to legally resist conscription in The CCN said it sympathised with to "an army which they detest and the "brutal dilemma" young Nami The stand-offbombardment took place shortly before midnight on Wednesday. which they consider to be a tool of op bians had to face when called up to According to a press release from the SWA Territory Force yesterday, the guer pression in the hands ofthe apartheid serve in the SADF. rillas had used projectiles of 122mm calibre. colonialist regime". He added that they There could be no doubt, the state The statement said that t wo civilians, Mr Titus Hamunyela (42) and Mr Pineas ' a~so ,regarded conscription as "moral ment added, that the SADF and its Barnabus (18), were killed py shrapn~l when one of the projectiles exploded near ly unjustifiable and also in conflict units, referred to collectively as the their home in Oshakati West. with the norms ofinternational law". SWA Territory Force, "serve the in Minor damage was caused to residential houses in the 'white' town ofOshakati, The Council, he added, supported terests ofthe Republic of South Africa but, according to the statement, security forces suffered no losses in personnel this view and were "alarmed by the and more particularly the white or material. tendency of turning the struggle for minority government's policy towards Reacting to the news that two civilians had been killed in the bombardment, true independence into a civil war by Namibia". a Swapo spokesman in London yesterday condemned the security forces for plac N amibianisingthe armed conflict bet He quoted the remarks of an SADF ing their military bases in or near residential areas. ween the South Mrican occupation spokesman who stated that "the "The illegal army is hiding behind civilians for protection. The deaths ofcivilians forces and the Namibian people". Defence Force of a country is not there is regretted, but ifthis is to be avoided the occupationist army must move its bases "It-is likewise difficult to'understand to serve a specific political party, but far away from the innocent residents of the north:' he said. HINEWORKERS GEARING lIP FOR SECOND BUN THE SECOND Congress of the Mineworkers Union of Nainibia (MUN) will be John Liebenberg is the delegation from Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM) in held in Tsumeb today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday). Pictured above by Oranjemund. In the front row, right, is John Shaetonhodi, Chairman of MUN. ( ::;:::::=- " 2 Friday January 15 1988 THE NAMIBIAN WATER TARIFF BIKE Permits in Caprivi A KATIMA MULILO resident and Swapo member, Mr Paddy Mwa zi , has rebuked the cabinet for making what he described as WATER TARIFFS are to be in sumers is subsidised by the State - sufficient to recover expenses. misleading statements about permits to the security districts in creased as from April 1, accor and not recovered from consumers in In the case of water supplied for ir the north. ding to a statement released by the existing water tariff structure. rigation purposes at Rardap, the tariff Mr Mwazi said that army personnel at the Bagani checkpoint still the Department of Water M In the determination of the new to farmers has been doubled. demanded permits when people were either entering or leaving Eastern fairs this week. water tariffs which come into effect on The present running cost for the Caprivi. April 1 , an attempt has been made to supply of irrigation water is 1,62 per Mr Mwazi charged that the statement issued by the Interim Govern The last increase consumers had to limit the increase in individual water square cubic metre, while an average face was some 18 months ago, and tariffs to a maximum of15 per cent. In tariff of only 0,94 per square cubic ment on November 22 announcing that no permits would be needed in because of various factors, including cases where an increase ofless than 15 metre will be levied during the 1988/89 the security districts was deceiving and had caused a great deal of con the real increases in the cost of water per cent is sufficient to recover the full financial year. fusion in Caprivi. The people of Caprivi had been under the impression supply due to normal cost increases operating cost, the increase is limited The increased tariff at Rardap, the that they. would also be exempted from carrying permits, but this was which include salary adjustments, to the lower percentage. statement says, is still very low in com not the case. fuel, machinery, chemicals and The average increase in the water parison with the tariff levied for irriga He said that when travelling to Windhoek on January 4 he had not only materials, the Department made a tariffs for State Water Schemes is ap tion water in South Africa, where it is, been told he would not be allowed through Bagani without a permit, but recommendation to the Cabinet to proximately nine per cent. in general in the region of 1,5 per he had been held there by the army for 6 hours. revise present water tariffs. In the case of water supplied to square cubic metre. The recommendation was approved municipalities, the average increase is Without taking any capital redemp Soldiers at the checkpoint searched his briefcases and threatened to by the Cabinet, and the revised tariffs 11 per cent. Typical examples of the ad tion into account, the statement points detain him when they found a leaflet entitled 'Justice in Namibia' in one will be published in the Official justments for larger centres are as out that the operating losses of the ofthem. He protested that the leaflet was perfectly legal since it was com Gazette in the near future. follows: Deprtment, even after the tariffrevi posed of material extracted from newspapers, but it was nevertheless According to the statement, another Windhoek - 10 per cent 'sion, will still amount to approximate confiscated. reason for the periodic revision of Keetmanshoop - 15 per cent ly R4,5millionforthecomingfinancial . He alleged that when the soldiers realised that the pamphlet was legal water tariffs is the effect of the reduc Mariental- four per cent year. tion in the State subsidy on the they decided that they would instead question him about his personal Gobabis - 15 per cent operating costs of water supply. history, and they even asked him to which political organisation he Swakopmund - eight per cent Without the approved revision in belonged. The operating cost of water schemes Oijiwarongo - 15 per cent tariffs however, the loss would have is subsidised by the State to a certain . amounted to R6,7 million. The follow Mr Mwazi was very bitter about-the treatment he received and com extent, and there is a need to reduce In the case of government institu plained that after having delayed him for six hours, they left him with . tions such as police stations, military ing operating losses have been pro this subsidy by gradually increasing jectedfor certain of the Department's no other alternative except to buy army petrol at the exorbitant price of the water tariffto cover at least the ac bases and tourist centres, the increases in some cases are more than 15 per larger water schemes: R 1,20 since all other petrol stations were closed by then .. tual cost of running a water scheme. A spokesman for the SWATF, Major Fanie Krigethis weekcofirmed that The Department of Water Affairs cerit. The DepartmentofWater Affairs Water schemes in Owambo R2400000 permits were still needed to enter Western Caprivi, which was a nature nins a computerised costing system in states that these organisations should Stocking drinking schemes reserve. which the actual capital redemption make provision for and budget to pay R400000 and running costs of water supply are the full running cost of water supplied. He added that in issuing permits "The SADF and the SWATF act as allocated to each individual State In terms of the existing policy, mines Water schemes in Hereroland the agents ofthe Directorate of Nature Conservation in this regard. In are regarded as enterprises establish R400000 terms ofthe relevant legislation. Travelling to this reserve is restricted Water Scheme in order to establish a Larger municipalities differentiated data base per scheme. ed for financial gain and it is the aim to a certain period of time, while there are also regulations concerning to eventually charge the full economic R300000 It is the policy of the government to Smaller towns the transport offire-arms, liquor etc.