Ester Mbathera
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) plans to continue to address the issue of the Lubango dungeons, five years after first raising concerns.
In 2020, the LPM’s leader, Bernadus Swartbooi announced plans to introduce a parliamentary motion to investigate the detentions and alleged human rights abuses that occurred in the 1980s during Namibia’s liberation struggle.
LPM spokesperson, Lifalaza Simataa on Sunday told the Windhoek Observer that the motion is still in the information-gathering stage.
“Due to how sensitive the matter is, information and accounts are not easily obtainable,” he said.
He explained that with only four seats in the last parliamentary cycle, the party has had to prioritise motions based on urgency and public needs.
Simataa noted that LPM has tabled several motions in parliament addressing public hardships, including land, education, mineral resources, employment, and youth issues.
The Lubango dungeons matter was previously raised in 2006 by the Congress of Democrats (CoD), whose then-secretary general, Kala Gertze, had been detained in the dungeons for six years.
The issue resurfaced on social media in recent weeks following the death of Namibia’s founding president, Sam Nujoma. Victims and relatives of those who disappeared during the struggle continue to seek answers.
Dungeon survivor Mihe Gaomab has been vocal about the matter.
“Sam Nujoma fought for this country’s freedom, not alone, but with others. We as youngsters also joined that struggle. I left school at the age of 16 with 13 other young students from Khorixas. They were murdered in Angola. I was lucky to be back. In their blood and mothers’ pain, it was an honourable thing for the Founding Father to say, ‘There were mistakes, a liberation struggle is not a bed of roses.’ It is as simple as that,” he said.
Gaomab confirmed that Lucky Mureko, believed to have been held in the dungeons, has died.
“Only Tangeni Mureko came back. They killed the rest of the brothers,” he said.
Former New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) CEO, Protasius Ndauendapo questioned when Namibia will address the killings and imprisonments of compatriots during the liberation struggle.
“As Namibians, how and when are we going to address those sad chapters of killing and imprisonment of fellow compatriots by fellow Namibians in Tanzania, Zambia, and Angola in the 1970s and 1980s to come to the truth, justice, and closure?” he asked.
Others, such as Desideria Murorua, have advocated for the inclusion of this topic in school history lessons.
“True Namibian history must be taught to our children. The Breaking the Wall of Silence movement should be heard, and families should find closure before all involved perish. Let NNN take the bold step and start a truth and reconciliation commission and repatriate the bones of all who died in the Lubango dungeons so that some parents can die peacefully,” she said.
Edward Ndopu, another survivor, revealed that Nujoma’s wife, Kowawambo, and brother-in-law, Aaron Mushimba, were also held in the dungeons. Some have questioned why victims are raising the issue now that Nujoma is no longer alive.
Leefa Martin, a victim, expressed scepticism about the likelihood that the truth would emerge.
“It will take a divine act to reveal the truth—not by human intervention. Even the praise singers for that wrongdoing need to be careful so that they won’t end up where we are today—like festering wounds,” she said.
The Lubango stories have been documented in books by detainees, including Oiva Angula’s Swapo Captive: A Comrade’s Experience of Betrayal and Torture.
In the book, Angula describes Nujoma as the direct commander of Solomon ‘Jesus’ Hawala and his concentration camp Gestapos.
Other books on the subject include The Agony of Truth: Autobiography of Samson Tobias Ndeikwila and Siegfried Groth’s Namibia – The Wall of Silence: The Dark Days of the Liberation Struggle.
