COUNTRYWIDE SCHOOL BOYCOTTS: NANSO SUPPLEMENT INSIDE TODAY SA'THREAT TO NAMIBIA ......-_ .:. Matjila warns that state of emergency may be imposed-' --..... ---------_---By GWEN LISTER-------------- ~ .... " r,~. INTERIM gO:\lernment .Chairman, Mr Andrew Matjila, has warned that Mr Matjila referred also to the current, almost countrywide school South Africa' ~ay declare a state of emergency in N amibia.- boycotts in solidarity with schools in the north which have closed as a result In a statement to Sapa yesterday, Mr Matjila claimed that "leftist political of the proximity of police and army bases, saying that it appeared that "ex­ forces .in Namibia had been engaged in an orchestrated campaign to pert political activists from South Africa had moved in to give instructions destabilise the territory in view of the Cuban-led military build-up within on the organisation of boycotts and labour strikes". 20km of the border". · Mr Matjila also referred to the IAi~I/Gams grouping (of churches, Swapo Mr Matjlla also claimed that political groups had organise a schools and other progressive organisations), saying that they had begun a bid to boycott to create the impression that Namibia had become ungovernable. destabilise the territory. "But the'y are making one big mistake".he said.. "South Africa may declare It is believed too, that the interim government Cabinet had until June 10 a state of emergency here, which we do not want" . (today) to answer Mr Botha concerning his request for a clampdown on . Mr Matjila's statement comes in the wake of demands-by the South African . "subversive" organisations and media. At the time of going to press, it was Stat~ President, Mr P W BotIia, that the interim government deal with what ' not possible to establish what the Cabinet's reaction was to Mr Botha's he l"efe~~ ~o as :"subversive" organisations and media in the country. At demand. this .stage, it is not known what the interim government have in mind con­ However, Mr Matjila's words to the effect that South Africa may impose cerniJilg propose~ legislation.at Mr Botha's request, but Mr Matjila's words a state of emergency in Namibia, may be a precursor 'to more stringent have an ciwnous. ring. c: . legislation against the 'left-wing' organisations and groups in the country. ~ . ~ . MEMBERS of the Police Task Force on top of Casspirs in Katutura last Friday when the school boycotts started. Picture by Dudley Viall KHOMASDAL RESIDENTS WHIPPED BY POLICE Y bung wom.e.n beaten with quirts when they went to visit friends ............·BYSARAHJOHANNES. · -----. POLICE brutality again jumped out and began beating them. reared its head when two They were beaten assaulted with young Khomasdal residents quirts and batons, were beaten with quirts as they Ms Mouton, who was whipped eight times, was left with a six· inch. were on their way to visit gash on her cheek. Ms van Rooy sus· friends in Katutura. tained lacerations on her thigh. Ms Margaret Van Rooy (19) and Ms Both girls told the police that they Audrey Mouton (18) were walking to were not involved in the boycott, nor Katutura to see friends when a were'they even at school anymore, but truckload of camouflaged policemen this did not stop the police from pulled up alongside them. assaulting them: The two girls were asked ifthey were Ms van !Woy and Ms Mouton said a part of the school boycott, but when they intended laying charges of they replied in the negative the police assault, . 2 Friday June 10 1988 THE NAMIBIAN NEW HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE A HUMAN RIGHTS Centre is to be established shortly at Parents m.eet on. boycott Ongwediwa, in the far north of Namibia. ___________ By RAJAH MUNAMAVA_-_________ The Centre will be known as the Human Rights Centre and will be official­ ly opened on Saturday, July 9, with hanksgiving service to be led by Bishop ' OVER 2 000 parents, students and pupils crammed the Roman Catholic Church in Kleopas Dumeni with Bishop James auluma and Bishop. Boniface Haushiku also scheduled to participate. 1 Katutura on Wednesday evening for an emergency meeting to discuss the current crip­ This was confirmed by the Human Rights Trust, the controlling body of the pling schools boycott throughout the country. Centre. The trustees are Bishops Dumeni, Kauluma, Haushiku, Mr Dave A resolution passed at the meeting, future, we know what we are doing and Such reasoning Dr Kameeta Smuts, a local lawyer, and Mr Geoff Budlender, Director ofthe Johannesburg said the parents and students no one is going to stand on our way". elaborated, was based on the concept office of the Legal Resources Centre. understood the reasons for the boycott He refuted allegations that the that blacks could not think on their Mr Smuts said that the Centre will operate as a para-legal advice office where and condenmed the location of South students were being instigated and own -so that if they did anything then the people of northern Namibia can go with human rights related problems. African army and police bases in the that they did not want to write ex­ someone must be behind them. He said that the trustees had decided to establish the Centre after the "com­ aminations and said that this was If pelling need" for it was identified following the "consistent pattern of human . proximity of schools all over Namibia, it those boycotting were students mere propaganda. from Pioneerspark or Suiderhof, the rights abuses in northern Namibia over recent years". particularly in the north, Tsumeb and Katutura. A student representative from Ella story would have been different but The Centre will focus on human rights issues such as problems relating to The meeting resolved to demand the Du Plessis Secondary School in now that it was blacks who were detentions, disappearances, deaths inn certain circumstances and claims aris­ removal ofbases from the proximity of Khomasdal extended a message of sup­ boycotting, the answer was teargas ing from unlawful assaults, detentions and damage to property. He pointed schools as a condition for students and port on behalf of her school to the and sjamboks, he charged. out that over the past 10 years in northern Namibia, some 6 000 people had pupils going back to school. boycotting students. He asked why those in authority had been detained without trial. There had also been numerous instances of per­ She said the students at her school sonal injury caused by assaults and damage to property. A committee, comprising of seven not convened a meeting to discuss the were. standing behind them and in­ student griveinces and the boycott The Centre will also involve itself in legal education - informing people as people, was elected to oversee the im­ plementation oft,he parents -students vited Katutura students tb partake in with having to call the police into to their rights and the legal process. resolution on the boycott. a meeting at the school the following schools. The Director of the Centre will be Mr Philip Mwandingi, a former teacher Those in the committee are: Dr day. The best that Mr Matjila could do at Mweshipandeka Secondary School. He is also a graduate of the University Zephania Kameeta, Jacobine Quoting from the bible,Dr Zephania was to come back and speak out loud­ of Fort Hare and was born and raised in northern Namibia. N dalikokule, Ida Hoffman, Dr Abisai Kameeta told the meeting that ly with his people against the presence The thanksgiving service will be held at the ELCIN Centre at Ongwediwa students and pupils at schools in of army bases at schools. to mark the offiCial opening on July 9. Diplomats and other dignatories will Shejavali, Father Bernhard Nor­ Katutura had been seeing visions in Dr Kameeta further took Mr Matjila attend and a large turnout of local residents is expected. dkamp, Othilie Abrahams and Hitjevi Veii. ~he past few days. to task Ilnd asked how the implemen­ The meeting heard reports from a Dr Kameeta warned the parents tation of 435 would not affect students Angola: contest of superpowers number of students on the reasons for that ifthey tallea to see the "visions" ifit was meant to resolve the Namibian the boycott. that the students were seeing, they independence question of which they THE Daily Nation newspaper of Nairobi, Kenya, said this week that the A student disclosed at the meeting were doomed. were part . Angolan crisis has been "elevated from an internal problem into a regional that the schools boycotts in Windhoek He emphasised that he was speaking "If435 means the end of colonialism, superpower contest". and other places were solidarity ac­ not as a church or political leader but how can this have nothing to do with "South Africa, which is reluctant to end its illegal occupation of Namibia, and tions with the students of the north as a parent, adding that he too had students?". the United States have wanted to see it as part of their global strategy against (Ovamboland) who are also boycotting children who had come home as a He said that ifthe action by students the Soviets." classes to protest the proximity of ar­ result ofthe boycott. in the past days has taught parents "'But the level of relations newly emerging between the United States and the my and police bases with schools in the Dr Kameeta hit out at a statement anything, it was the courage to stand Soviet Union, as demonstrated by last week's summit, has undermined that area. by interim government Minister of up together in the face ofintimidation crusade. It should thus enable a quick solution to be found to the Angolan cri'sis He said this was a :show of sympathy Edu~ation Mr Andrew Matjila, to the and police beatings.