Cassinga bombing survivors recall horror

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

As Namibia celebrated the 35th Cassinga Day anniversary on May 4, several women and men who survived the 1978 bombing attack on the settlement camp in Angola appealed to the government to assist them to visit the shrine of their fallen comrades.
The group's spokesperson, Asteria Nasheya, said they feel that visiting the shrine would help the survivors come to terms with their grief.
Nasheya recounted how the then South African Defence Force (SADF) attacked the camp housing hundreds of people, mostly women and children, saying the soldiers' helicopter flew over the area before they dropped the bombs.
The Swapo camp served as a reception centre for Namibian refugees who had escaped apartheid oppression by the then South African regime.
In her sombre statement Nasheya said the attack on the camp situated southern Angola left about 900 people dead, babies orphaned and many of the survivors disabled.
She recounted that the aftermath of the attack also saw hundreds captured and sent to prisons or concentration camps, where they were inhumanely treated.
They started mercilessly shooting. The plane kept going back and forth dropping bombs in the morning until the afternoon. More than 900 people lost their lives.
On this day, we pay homage to our fellow heroes and heroines, who paid the supreme price so Namibia could attain independence. We appeal to the government to assist in our wish to visit the shrine so we can come to terms with our grief, Nasheya said.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who addressed a mass of people who flocked to celebrate the day at the UN Plaza in Windhoek's Katutura suburb, said the Cassinga massacre was one of the most brutal single attacks in the history of the Namibian liberation struggle.
Pohamba said on the same day of the Cassinga bombing, another settlement known as Vietnam in the Ombadja area of Angola was also attacked, leaving hundreds of refugees dead and others captured.
Pohamba said Namibia will remain grateful to Angola for assisting the Namibians in a very substantial manner amid the dangers of repeated acts of aggression and atrocities perpetrated by the apartheid regime.
Pohamba also used the platform to pay homage to those who fought against German colonial occupation in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
He said the fallen cadres of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and other freedom fighters shed their blood on the battlefield at Epinga, Oshikuku, Oshakati and Ondeshifilwa in Namibia, Oshaatotwa in Zambia and Vietnam in Angola.
The Cassinga settlement had a total population of 3 000. When the apartheid troops commenced in the morning of that fateful day, the majority of the centre's residents were gathered at the assembly area, waiting to receive instruction and deployment orders.
In the aftermath of the attack, hundreds were killed and many more injured and maimed. Some of our comrades lie in unmarked graves in the forests and valleys of southern Africa.
Pohamba said the Cassinga survivors are living monuments of the national liberation struggle as their suffering and experiences must remain a constant reminder to us all that the freedom and independence of Namibia were achieved through a long and bitter struggle .
Pohamba said on Cassinga Day, Namibians must remember and honour the glorious history and bravery of those who died during the struggle.
The history of Namibia is marked by many atrocities committed by German colonial forces and the South African apartheid troops. We should remember and honour the bravery of our people. They fought without fear and gave their lives to break the chains of oppression and colonialism.
We should draw inspiration from their courageous deeds and selfless sacrifice as we face the future and build a peaceful and better society for all our people, said Pohamba.