* Inside: 'Women speak sense' * ------ ------ Africa South 27 URGENT PLEA VER CRISIS I OVAMBO OVERCROWDED hospitals, a shortage of medicine and mission pointed out. poor distributiuon of medical personnel was resulting in a "In fact, this situation cannot be rapidly deteriorating condition in health services in Ovambo. tolerated simply because the public concerned is conseIVative and far The situation was yesterday de­ at Ombalantu was "terribly " over­ away from medical facilities and find scribed as urgent by the Catholic crowded and there was not sufficient themselves in the rural areas where Justice and Peace Commission, which medical personnel to cope with the telephoqe communication and bad called on the government to give the' patient load. General hygiene at the roads are compounding the existing matter immediate attention. hospital also left much to be desired, problems," the commission said in Details of the deteriorating health they said. the letter to Dr Amadhila. conditions were spelled out in a letter The commission said cleaning The commission called for legis­ to the Pennanent Secretary of Health personnel had complained about a lation to enable members of !he public Services, Dr Solly Amadhila. lack of cleaning detergents and anti­ to serve on the hospital boards in "We are concerned about the septic materials for cleaning toilets order to allow them to have an input general ' deterioration of the health and floors. The food provided was in the fonnulation of hospital and situation in the north,· , the letter also not good enough. health policies. signed by the commission's co-ordi­ Further, nursing personnel at the Primary health care education nator, Willy Amutenya, said. Anamulenge Clinic had complained should be intensified in all rural ar­ Amutenya said overcrowding in they were being forced to reduce eas, the commission said. hospitals, a shortage of medicine and dosages for patients due to a shortage , 'The government must also enlist poor distribution of medical person­ in medicine and auxiliary materials. the help of opulent countries to do­ nel were urgent problems which At Oshikuku, the sewerage system nate medical personnel and medi­ WITH old experiences etched on her face, this Bushman woman needed the immediate attention of was malfunctioning, resulting in the cines including the erection of clin­ the government. hospital vicinity becoming a health ics in rural areas of the entire coun­ is one of many caught in the destructive influence of so-called The commission said the hospital hazard for the community, the com- try, " the commission concluded. civilised Western culture. See story, pages 16 and 17. am.ibia says 'no' to oreign aid hand-outs THE NAMIBIAN government does not want foreign aid "hand­ Namibia, said Dr Perez de Cuellar, living of the large majority of the outs" and expects Namibians to take an active part in their was endowed with substantial natu­ Namibian population. " country's development process. ral resources but currently was un­ Geingob said Namibia needed able to fully exploit this potential. foreign investment and the govern­ The government's development Dr Perez de Cuellar said the "It is therefore incumbent on the ment was ready to provide "a fa­ THE 'mysterious disease', believed priorities were laid on the line at a Namibian government's priority in international community, including vourable business environment for by sonie to be cholera, which has meeting ofpotential aid donors at the the immediate post-independence inter-governmental agencies and the such investors" . broken out in the north is still claim­ United Nations (UN) headquarters in period "will be the promotion of private sector, to assist the govern­ But the prime minister stressed ing lives 'on a daily basis, according New York wmch was addressed by popularparticiaption in the develop­ ment of Namibia in deriving maxi­ Namibia was not looking for' 'hand­ to reports reaching The Namibian. Prime Minister Rage Geingob, Na­ ment process". To this end, agricul­ mum benflts from its rich poten­ outs". "We want assistance that will Although the health authorities have tional Planning Commission direc- . ture/rural -development, education! tial, " he said. help us create a sustainable develop­ not yet.diagnosed the disease, Health tor Dr Zed Ngavirue and UN Secre­ training, health and affordable hous­ "It is only through adequate in­ ment base that will endure even when and Welfure Minister Dr Nicky Iyambo tary-General, Dr Javier Perez de ing were "priority sectors" to re­ vestment that it will be possible to Cuellar. ceive special attention. substantially raise the standard of CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 WE OFFER Live entertainment with the Reflections Band. Come and enjoy the sound of true music from llam - 2pm on-Saturday Tel: 3-7293 CONTINENTAL HOTEL Fax: 3-5139 • 2. F.riday April 27 1990 t , ;r.WEi NAMIBIAN 'I am not trying to be a hero' - Dirk Coetzee LONDON· If it meant he had to spend the rest of his life outside South Africa in exile, he still wanted the truth to be known about police death squads, Dirk Coetzee told the Harms Commission hearing in London on Thursday. Continuing his evidence in chief freely because he was out of the circumstances. Coetzee described how for the second day, he said he would country, but that he also wanted to attempts to poison the dissenters or probably still be living with the lies get things out in the open and clear untrustworthy askaris, with drugs from and his old political views inside his heart. SAP forensic chief, Brigadier Lothar NEW YORK· The foreign ministers of india and Pakistan agreed on steps to try SouthAfricanowifoneofhlsfonner "My wife and children are back in Neethling, had at first failed and doses to reduce tensions over Kashmir, but without narrowing their underlying alleged hitsquad team members, Al­ Pretoria... It' shard .. .I am not trying had been doubled. differences. mond Nofemela, had not confessed to be ahero." When this hadfaiIed, despite tests to the atrocities last year. Earlier, Cqetzee described in fur­ on a sheep, which had died within MANCHESTER, England· Warders In. riot gear stormed Manchester's Responding to the flat denials of ther graphic detail how fonner Afri­ seconds, the victims ~d been drugged Strangeways Jail and forced rebel Inmates to surrender, ending Britain's his allegations by numerous serving can National Congress fighters who with "knock-out" drugs, also sup­ longest prison siege. policemen he has named so far, Coet­ had defected to the SA Police, but plied by the then Brigadier Neeth­ zee said he would be doing exactly had not been fully trusted, had been ling. SIDON, Lebanon· A HlzboUah leader dashed hopes for a quick release of the same if he was still in South killed and their bodies burned in 1981. The men were then shot behind the another American hostage In Lebanon but freedom prospects brightened for Africa now. The remaining .. askaris" at the ear and their bodies completely burnt two Swiss Red Cross workers kidnapped last year. If they admitted the truth, they Vlakplaas hitsquad camp were not with wood and tyres at Komatipoort, In BEIRUT, rival Christians blasted each other with heavy artillery, tank and would likely also end up on death row told, but they knew very well when where local security police had co­ rocket fire In their worst battle In a month, killing at least 20 and wounding in Pretoria with Nofemela. one of their members simply ran operated. Coetzee' s evidence in chief more than 25. Coetzee said he felt he could speak away or disappeared in stange is continuing. MOSCOW. President Mikhail Gorbachev has assured workers In the Soviet Union's Industrial heartland that economic refonDs to be presented next month will not contain "shock therapy". MPLA talks·with Unita WASHINGTON· U.S. trade representative Carla Hills said she opposed brand· Ing Japan an unfali' trading partner, a label that could have opened the way for punitive U.S. tarin's on some Japanese goods. EL ALFARO, Nicaragua. A group of U.S.·backed Contra rebels refused to will start 'within days' begin turning over weapons, threatening a cease~fire accord that had ended the war. Earlier, Vloleta Chamorro was sworn In as Nicaraguan President, declar· UNITED NATIONS· Angola's foreign minister on Wednesday The Angolan minister also said Ing herself head orthe arme.d forces but keeping the Sandlnlsta army leader In announced his government would soon begin direct peace talks with Cuban troops, which had fought Unita his post. She Immediately proclaimed a political amnesty and ended the military Uoita rebels. rebels for years, were being with­ .draft. Despite the conciliatory words, the atmosphere at the stadium was often drawn on schedule. He said more rowdy and divisive. Spectators on the Sandlnlsta side hurled water balloons at Pedrp van Dunem said the talks States and South Africa were resup­ than 35 000 had left and about 15000 Chamorro as she entered the stadium. Outgoing President Daniel Ortega and would begin within a few days, but plying the rebels with logistical aid, remained. his wife, Rosario MurlUo, were pelted with watermelon rinds tossed by United that the exact dates or location had weapons and ammunition, and wamed He said Angola' s leftist govern· National Opposition partisans. yet to be agreed upon. Portugal and that such aid could hamper the talks. ment was instituting major economic Cape Verde are possible locations. But Aubrey Dwyer, spokesperson and political refonns, including im­ LA PAZ • Bolivian unions called an Indefinite strike to protest against the "We are convinced the talks will for the South African mission, said plementing the market -oriented eco­ policies of centre· left President Jaime Paz Zamora and demand higher wages. help us find the path to national rec­ South African aid to the rebels had nomic prescriptions of the W orId onciliation in Angola, " he said.