EPISCOPAL CHURCHPEOPLE for a FREE SOUTHERN AFRICA E 339 Lafayette Street, New York, N.Y. 10012·2725 c (212) 477-0066 s A #58 23 April 1987 BISHOPS TO·.BOTH A To inform SA State President ·that war situation 1s reaching calamitous stage ------- BY GWEN LISTER ------- NAMIBIAN churchleaders, meetme with the Ad· ministrator General, Mr Louis Pienaar, on Wednesday THE OBSERVER, SUNDAY 12 APRIL 1987 afternoon, requested an urgent meeting with the South African State Preaident, Mr P W Botha, in order to resolve the war situation which they describe u hav­ ing reached a "calamitouslltage... A spokesman from Mr ATTACK FEARED Pienaar's office confirmed that the request had been Fearing another South African --­ transmitted to the office of Mr Botha, and added that commando raid, Zimbabwe yesterday the State President's attitude to such a meeting would called on the international community depend.on the "motive" behind the request by chur· to prevent the Pretoria regime from chleaders, and that the meeting would be unlikely to engaging in ' military adventurism ' take place before the elections in South Africa. against any of its neighbours, Jan Churchleaders, including Biahop James Kauluma of the Anglican Church; Raath reports from Harare. The call, Biahop Hendrik Frederick of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; Biahop Kleopas Dumeni of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN); by Foreign Minister Witness Reverend Karl Sundermeier of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church Mangwende, follows warnings last and other member churches o(the Council of Churches in Namibia, lllid in week by South Africa's President a brief statement that they were aeek.ing an urgent appointment with Mr · Botha "so that an opportunity may be given lA> us lA> expreaa our <:Oncern P. W. Botha and Foreign Minister Pi.k over this dangerous oituation qf ecalating conflict". Botha that South Africa would retaliate .Recalling the ..concerns and warn­ tiona which he would JK*! to them. it the front-line States failed to halt the ings which-have previously brought Such qiHIStiona"""""'"""­ alleged incursions of ANC guerrillas lA> the attention of the South African by chU!'Chleaders made in various through their territories. Mangwende State President", the churchleaders parts of the world. The spoluwnan said that the " aituation is referred in particular lA> a recent state- emphasised that Zimbabwean support deteriorating month bymonthandday - ment by Biahop Dumeni concerning for the ANC ' does not extend to the by day, and needs ~nt attention tA> - · allePIOou U.t ~l.ieopcen- .fli tlae prevent it from e.ca.lating beyond the SADF had been aeen in northern provision of bases or transit facilities present already dangerous point". Namibia with the bodies of dead peo­ within or via Zimbabwe.' The churchleaders lllid in the state­ ple suspended from them. Mr Botha, ment that Mr Pienaar had been lllid the spokesman, would demand 11 receptive" to their request, and in· dates and times and evidence of such dicated that it would be communicated allegations in order lA> inveatiga~ to Mr Botha, but cautioned that there· He added that ehurchleaders had quest for a meeting might not be met madeitclearthatthewiahedoolely!A> THE SUNDAY TIMES 12 APRIL 1987 before mid-May (aft.er the elections). diacuas with Mr Botha, the escalating MrBotha'sofficev.'BSapproachedfor war. situation, and that they did not would facilitate a meeting with Mr comment, but a spokesman said no in· want lA> deal with allegations of Botha. This meeting would largely de­ formation could be given on any ofthe atrocities on the part of Swapo. Mr pend on whether the chU!'Chleaders State President's meetings. Botha would not agree lA> talks on the had an "honest motive" and "recon­ Also approaehed for comment, a Heecalatingwar" since it was the opi· ciliation" in requesting the meeting, spokesman from the office of the Ad­ nion of the authorities that Swapo ac­ and were not merely "playing lA> the ministrawr General said that there­ tivities had "diminished" and were public gallery". quest for a meeting had already been "winding-down" rather than Church oourcea confmned that the aent to Mr Botha's office, and eonflTID­ eoealating. deteriorotinsl: ....,. situation in nor­ ed the meeting with Mr Pienaar and The spokesman lllid he felt, in view them Namibia would be the IA>pic of ehurchleaders on Wedneaday. of the fact that Mr Botha refuaed, two auch a meeting. They odded that the He said that Mr Pienaar had made JMl"8 ago, to meet with CCN chur­ meeting with the Administrator it clear in the meeting, that chur­ chlMdera, that ifthechun:hleadersin GeDel'al wu morder lA> pus the re­ chleaders would, if they met with Mr ~n .. spoke out against violence -quest for diacuaaiona with the State" Botha. have lA> anBwer certain ques- from all .odes", that ouch an attitude President. • Red drive on Unita. A inajor dry season offensive by a joint Angolan. Cuban and Soviet force. aimed at driving rebel Unita guenil· las from their bases in southern Angola is about to begin, South African com­ manders believe. It will be the most deter­ mined so far, backed by massive Soviet airlifts, and South Africa may have to Bishop Kleopaa Dumenl intervene directly to suppon Bishop James Kauluma Unita, or come face to face with Cuban. Soviet and Angolan forc,es on the Fnday April 10 1987 l'HE NAMIBIAN Namibian border. ' THE NAMIBIAN 4 Friday March 20 1987 ANGOLANS ON ASSAULTS THREE CIVIUANS from tbe Oiputa village In aoutbern ADgola,laat week bitterly accuaed memben oftbe South African Defence Force of"malicioua aasault" and oftbe "mercUeaa roaotl.nl" of peaceful and delenceleu civiliana in tbe reJion. Speaking from their hospital wards Afrikaans. I replied in the negative". BY CHRIS SHIPANGA at Taandi, in Ombalantu, the three "The aoldierthen asaaulted me with men claimed that unita of the SADF fieta and ordered the black aoldiers to frequently croaaed the Angolan border Haikali, 30, alleged that on February gather fire wood and to make a fire. fo r "nothing other than to molest 11, 1987, unitaoftheSADF in Buft'el After this he ordered me to ait on the civilians on the other aide and to ac­ trucka arrived at their homestead in fire, but I refuaed, and he forcibly threw cusethemriusiatingPLANfighters". southern Angola and demanded to me into it". The civiliana further accuaed securi­ know from hia father how many eons "As I struggled out he would kick me ty forces of occasionally destroying hehad,andhowmanyofthemwentto back onto the fire," he aaid. their property and of unlawful deten­ achool. The civilian further claimed that tions, which many times allegedly "At that stage a white soldier spot· several other people were alao resulted in the deatba and or diaap­ ted me in one of the huta and stormed asaaulted that day before the soldiers pearance of people. towardsmeeeizingmebytheneckand proceeded to another village. One ritheciviliana, Mr Ndimulunde asking me whether I understood any The third civilian, Mr MariuAitula, Sheeuya, 67, alleged that many 23, alleged that in February this year, CUBpir trucka, with the wording Z5, members of the SADF were moving onMarch8,1987,arrivedathiehome from the one village to the other quea­ just acroee the Angolan border and of. tioningciviliane about Swapo fighters. floaded several wet sticka which He aaid many people l"ere being roughly measured about a metre each beaten up with wet aticka. imd that the in their lengths. aoldieracame tobiahome and arrested He aaid all men were blackandapoke him for looking "auspicious". adialectaimilartothatritheOvahim­ MrAitulaclaimedthatbewaetaken ba of the Kaokoland region. to Sector 10 Headquarters at "They were all in camouflage Oebakati, where it was aaid that he uniform and they started to inter­ Bhould be taken to the "weerma& rogate everyone about Swapo, while bokke" for detention. He l!lleged U.,t they indiecriminately -ulted main­ .. he was unlawfully detained there for · ly young people with tlio8e aticka. I about_two weeki and later released. · brawlyfoughtbaclt,bt••waeeoonOYI!I'• "IreturnedtomyvillageatOiputa, powered by about -n men who Southern Angola, butonFebruary20, knocked me to the ground:' 1987, the army cameagainandaccua­ "While I was atill on the ground, one ed me ofbeing a Swapo terroriat. This ofthemaaidbewould-tothatidon't time they pulled out aticka from a hut run away, to which betook a panga and in our kraal and made a fire". stabbed me in the right foot;• the "I was told that they would 'cool me civilian aaid. oft' nicely before braaiing me'. The security forces then allegedly hole was dug in the ground took four young men with them before filled with water, and they left hie village. then my bead was forced in· The second civilian, Mr Leonardo to it and covered with soil" He a118ged that aftAir Mr llarlu Altula undergoingthe aameaction several times he was then taken to the fire place. was then thrown into it first, but I jumped out, the soldiers grabbed me by the hands and legs and literal­ lyroastedmybackovertheopentire," the young man said. He also claimed that an amount of R240 in cash, as well as clothing and blankets were stolen by the soldiers. (Despite a denial from a Defence Force apokeeman in Windhoek ri knowledgeoftheincidenteandaclaim thatnoneofthematterawerereported with Sector 10 Headquarters at Oehakati, the matters were reported in the presence of the writer ofthil'ar· tiel e. to a Lieutenant Saunders, 8Jld' M~r van der Merwe from Sector l O; The latter promised that the arnjy - • would investigate. The Chair­ man of the Ovambo Admin istration confirmed that he pereonaUy raiaed the issues with the Administrator-Goo .erallast week. A Defence Force spokesman later con lfirmed that the matter had been reported to Sector 10 late on Wednesday, and investigations were being carried out).