News and Information

The Caprivian People, a Nation without a State
April 7, 2011
The genesis of the Caprivian struggle stemmed during the sixties when the Chiefs and other intellectuals realized that the South African white apartheid regime was not properly following the rule of law, but treated them as second citizens. Many used to be abducted during the night, beaten and some were left in the forest to die, for example the demise of late Masida, Lyaboloma, and Simbwae to mention but a few. Some lost their lives and many lost parts of their bodies, like what befell late Mr. Solomon Masole Puzeli, Vincent Maswahu and many others. It is important to mention here that the same tactic or even much worse repression is being received at the hands of the black neo-oppression of the SWAPO regime of Namibia.

Look Country men, although the apartheid (white) South Africa n regime killed our fathers and parents, exploited our fauna and flora, by for example misappropriating our animals from the Caprivi to Etosha and Waterberg, they never, but never took the people’s most important resource,” land”. Of recent in March, the minister Mrs. Netumbo Ndaitwa when she was at Bwabwata to officiate the opening of the few homes and tourism offices she was quoted as saying that Bwabwata belongs to Kavango. This is far from the truth as that land is Western Caprivi, which belongs to Caprivians for the Caprivi and not for Namibians. We fought for that land in the past and continue to do so now. One could characterize words of the minister as day dreaming and lack of knowledge about the Caprivi. In the west our border with Namibia starts from Andara via Mukuvi up to the Botswana border. Anybody who has no knowledge about the Caprivi should find some time with Caprivians to learn about its history and geography. Our simple message to Namibia is that we shall never rest until the Caprivi is free to become a State on its own. When you came back from exile, you came to know that the Caprivi stretches from Andara in the west to Impalila in the east and from Sangwali in the south to Katima Mulilo in the north. In as much as you do not have Caprivians’ social contract, you do not have the mandate to change the Caprivi Strip’s borders.

We once mentioned about the establishment of a police interrogation office at Benjamin Bebi location which has even intensified its operation in the Caprivi. These criminals have not only destabilized the peace and stability the people of the Caprivi used to enjoy in the past, but are now arresting and beating people up until their death. Another issue we just learnt about is that of a young man by the name of Sinvula commonly known as “Raddar”he was abducted by fifteen Ovambo police officers while cerebrating his birth day in Katima Mulilo. This man Raddar was brutally beaten and when they realized that he no longer was moving his body they took him to the hospital but died on the way. Another man by the name of Natangwe Simasiku was also brutally beaten and left to die. Caprivi is now a concentration camp as its citizens are being beaten, tortured, and done all sorts of things and no one cares. It looks like there is no rule of law in Namibia as anyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. No one is above the law including the Namibian executive branch of government as they are the ones sending these gang police officers to kill the people in the Caprivi. Caprivians are not animals or Zombis to be tossed around as you wish, but human beings capable of tracing and analyzing your hidden agendas and plans on them.

To the people of the Caprivi (Mafwe, Masubia, Mayeyi, Matotela, Mambukushu, Malozi and Mabarakwena) we say look through the eyes of the Namibian SWAPO regime and what you will see is that all they have on their plate for Caprivi is nothing but to destroy its resources, exploit its human capital, and take away the land we love so dearly. Know this country man, if we let this go on and on, the last thing will be that Caprivi will become a Kavango enclave.

It is time for all the people in the Caprivi to act and use the rich minds of educated few in the Caprivi to research and redress these issues without fear. Look around the Caprivi and what you see is gravel that has turned into sand. The hospital is now a worst nightmare as no one who goes in comes back. If linen has to be sent to Rundu for cleaning what do you expect to happen in the future? The government is playing politics on you by turning you into enemies with one another so that you may not find time to think and reclaim that which belongs to you.

We would like to appeal to the indunas and the traditional authorities in the Caprivi to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal of achieving Independence in the Caprivi. We have people in the Namibian prisons who have been incarcerated there for twelve years now. This requires your ingenuity to peacefully pressure the Namibian SWAPO regime to release them. As traditional authorities and indunas, land is why you were established to preserve and protect. You will be left with nothing if land in your jurisdiction is forcibly grabbed from you by the power that be. You see, SWAPO has a mental map that incorporates the entire Caprivi to Namibia, but our mental map of the Caprivi Strip stretches from Andara in the West to Impalila in the East. They have an agenda that includes making sure that there will be no genuine Caprivian in the future. We want Caprivians to be free and enjoy the freedom they so desperately need. This state of affair remains for as far as we are concerned.

We are a nation without a State and it is up to all of us (caprivians) to change the status quo in order to determine and reach our destiny.

UDP, Bulela Sicaba Sa Utwa.

Chrispin Mutoiwa
UDP Information Secretary
Mutcrio@yahoo.com






Source: www.caprivifreedom.com


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