Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 4. March 23 1981
Illegal Occupation — The Current Situation in Namibia
Illegal Occupation
The Current Situation in Namibia
The NZUSA South African Scholar, Gillies Kati recently returned to Africa for a couple of months. He spoke to Colin McFadzean of NZUSA about the current situation in southern Africa and the struggle for self determination in Namibia (South West Africa) and Salient reprints this interview below.
□ NZUSA: Gilles, you have just returned from Africa. Recently elections have been held in Namibia. What was the outcome of these elections? Could you highlight any important problems revealed through the elections?
▪ Gilles: In the final analysis the result proved the failure of the South African government and apartheid. To us in Swapo this was yet another victorious battle in the protracted struggle for the liberation of Namibia. It underlines the widespread support, and trust the people of Namibia have in Swapo to lead them to true and total independence. My assessment of this result is based on the facts. The racist government of South Africa illegally occupies the territory of Namibia. Therefore it is clear that the racist government of South Africa (as a force of occupation in Namibia) has no right to conduct an election in that territory. The elections of 1978, which illegally installed the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) and the subsequent election of last November were an experiment in desperation by the racist government of South Africa in defiance of United Nations resolutions and international opinion.
"The goal is total freedom and independence and this is just a matter of time"
Such an act is indeed in direct opposition to the stipulation of the United Nations member states, including New Zealand, that any election in Namibia must be under the supervision and control of the UN. Those who particpated in this election are none other than South African stooges and local tyrants who are the instruments through which the racist government of South Africa exploits, and oppresses the people of Namibia. The membership of the DTA coalition consists of outmoded tribal chieftans who, through bribery and sinister manipulation by the South African government are blind to the reality that the future of Namibia is no longer a game of ping pong by imperialists. The goal is total freedom and independence and this is just a matter of time. Those ethnic elections were boycotted by the most progressive forces in Namibia. Not all ethnic groups in Namibia were allowed to participate in the election. For instance the Ovumbos, who constitute about 50% of the entire population, were not allowed to vote. Judging from the multitudes of abstentions and boycotts we arrived at the conclusion that ethnic elections cannot be regarded as the legitimate expression of the will of the people of Namibia and therefore the DTA claim that it represents the people of Namibia is not valid.
□ One of the major reasons for South Africa's continued occupation of Namibia is undoubtedly its incredible mineral wealth. Can you tell me something about the manner in which South Africa and its Western backers are exploiting Namibia.
South Africa has major dealings with them. One of their recent discoveries in Namibia has been uranium, situated on the west coast and perhaps the world's richest uranium mine. Because Western countries are exploiting Namibia for its uranium, Namibians cannot rely on them for liberation because we can't expect the people who are exploiting us to save us from this exploitation. There is no indication from the Western world that it is really serious in wanting to liberate the territory or to put pressure on South Africa to leave our country."There is no indication from the Western world that it is really serious in wanting to liberate the territory or to put pressure on South Africa to leave our country."
□ There are two basic wings of Swapo. Swapo lead by Sam Nujoma and the Swapo Democrats who operate mainly within Namibia. Can you tell me something about the distinction between those two arms of the struggle?
▪ Swapo Democrats is a splinter group that broke away from the main Swapo a few years ago. It is headed by one of the founder members of Swapo, Andreas Shipanga. Though they have a different label they are on the same line and we still count them as being one of the pregressive forces within the political cocktail. I don't think there is any political quarrel between the original Swapo lead by Sam Nujoma and the Swapo lead by Andreas Shipanga. Whatever the case may be, we are all in the category of forces who intend to liberate the territory of Namibia. Swapo Democrats boycotted the South African organised elections. I doubt the weight of their activities since they don't operate militarily. They seem to be a mere political party.
□ The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance is the major form for the forces of reaction with Namibia. Could you expand on the actual political role played by the DTA and its alliances with South Africa and various other reactionary forces with Namibia?
▪ The Coalition of the DTA consists of those who go along with the creation of Bantustans in Namibia. There is another front, the Namibia National Front. This is a coalition of all the patriotic forces such as SWANU. On one side you have the Namibia National Front comprising all the patriotic forces and on the other side you have the Democratic Turnhalle Aliance (DTA) being propped up by the South African racist government.
The DTA does not constitute a major threat because the elements in the DTA are hated by their own people. It is through them the South African racist government has been exploiting and oppressing the people of Namibia, and they have less chance of winning an election in Namibia. Our main opponent is the South African government who are occupying the country illegally. As far as I'm concerned I see members of the DTA as confused fellow citizens who will need education to change their world outlook, and I'm fighting to liberate them.
□ In the last few weeks South Africa has made incursions into Angola to chase the forces of Swapo. Can you tell us something about those "hot pursuit" raids by South Africa. Who are they directed at? Who do they affect?
▪ According to South African propaganda intended to confuse world opinion, South Africa is pursuing only the military target of Swapo. The reality of the situation is that South Africa has several aims. The South African government is an aggressive government hostile to all three independent states north of its boundary. The incursion into Angola is aimed at provoking the government of Angola and destroying some of the economic pillars of the Angola Peoples Republic. It is also aimed at massacring the civilians who reside along the border of Angola and Namibia. Most people realise the situation favours Swapo and support the members of the People's Liberation Army of Swapo. South Africa's incursions into Angola involve the senseless massacre of villagers in order to discourage them from supporting the liberation struggle.
The South African racist government has joined hands with a party which is opposed to the government of the popular Republic of Angola. That is the UNITA movement led by Jonas Savimbi. With the dissidents of Savimbi the South African forces enter Angola to carry out acts of atrocity and massacre. Another South African tactic is to recruit stooges, dress them up like the People's Liberation Army of Swapo and send them as a destroying squad into Angola. This way they confuse the West by telling them that this is what Swapo does.
□ Savimbi was propped up by the South African regime during the liberation struggle and at the moment receives quite a lot of support from South Africa to destablise the present government in Angola, the MPLA government. What is the attitude of Swapo towards Savimbi and his close relationship with the South African government?
▪ To us in Swapo there is no difference between Savimbi and South Africa because the aims and objectives of Savimbi and South Africa are all the same, they are all enemies of stability, peace and freedom. South Africa is refusing to withdraw from our territory of Namibia, and Savimbi is collaborating with South Africa by mounting a campaign of extermination and harrassment of the Namibian populace. Our bullets would know no difference between Savimbi and South Africa.
□ Mozambique is another liberated country which is coming under increasing attack from the forces of reaction in South Africa. In particular the Movemento Resistance Mozambique (MRM) has received substantial backing from South Africa.
▪ One way of destabilising the economy of a neighboring country is for South Africa to ally itself with whatever forces suit it. The MRM is made up of former Portugese who refused to live in a new society and fled to South Africa. Ever since liberation, South Africa has been building up this group to provoke the government in Mozambique. Recently the South Africans backed up these renegades and attacked refugee camps in Mozambique. This is another Kansinga massacre in which defenceless civilians have been attacked and bombed. The mask the South Africans put on was that it was attacking military targets of PAC or ANC, the liberation movements of South Africa, but in actual fact this act is characteristic of the aggressive nature of the racist government of South Africa.
□ South Africa has very close ties with Israel, which supplies military expertise and technology. How do you view this relationship?
▪ I believe that the goals of Zionism and the apartheid goals of the racist government in Pretoria are similar. I am not surprised that the racists in Pretoria have teamed up with Zionists in Tel Aviv to find ways of developing nuclear capability to destroy human life. History has taught us a lesson. In both countries human rights have been violated and it is not only the Zionists that have been telling the world that they are a supreme race as opposed to the Arabs. The same thing happens in South Africa where the whites who control the government machinery think they superior to the blacks in South Africa. They are all enemies of freedom and we in Southern Africa fully back up and support the Palestinian Liberation Movement in their struggle for liberation. We condemn the close ties between the two racist states South Africa and Israel.
□ What significance do you think the election of Ronald Reagan and his new approach to the political situation in Southern Africa will have for the struggle in Namibia?
Namibia. We don't have any hope for the Reagan administration because whatever approach the Reagan administration takes will be to the advantage of the South African government, our enemy. We in Namibia believe that the solution to our political situation lies entirely in our hands."...the solution to our political situation lies entirely in our hands."
□ One of the things that Reagan did say when talking about the political situation in Southern Africa was that the United States was firmly committed to halting the spread of so called communism through the front line states, including Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Would you like to comment on Mr Reagan's views of communism in the liberated and front line states.
▪ This is quite a broad view and it really requires a deep analysis because I am not very sure of what Mr Reagan's understanding of communism is. There has been such a move. I understand the Western imperialists regard freedom and independence and self determination by the indigenous people of Africa as being a communist move. Whatever steps America and South Africa take to block the self determination and independence of the, people of Southern Africa will be on the pretext of fighting communism.
□ Do you see the shift in American foreign policy as one towards protecting its economic interests in Southern Africa, specifically Namibia and South Africa?
of Namibia have become tired of this diplomatic game between the western countries and the racist government of South Africa. Shift or no shift in the US policy, the struggle in Namibia continues and we are determined to increase our military activities under the banner of the Peoples Liberation Movement in Swapo until independence is achieved."...we are determined to increase our military activities under the banner of the People's Liberation Movement in Swapo until independence is achieved."
Colin McFadzean
General Vice President NZUSA7 March 1981