Mwilima denies link to Muyongo party

WINDHOEKFAITH SANKWASA

A former member of parliament and now treason accused, Geoffrey Mwilima, has testified that he was not affiliated to the United Democratic Party that was behind the alleged secessionist attempt to secede the Caprivi Region from the rest of Namibia in 1999.
Mwilima is one of the 64 remaining accused from the 132 arrested after the attack. Some have since died, while 43 accused were realised by High Court Judge Elton Hoff in February.
The accused are facing 278 charges which include high treason, sedition, murder and attempted murder.
Mwilima, who continued his second day under cross-examination by Deputy Prosecutor-General Herman January yesterday, said he was only part of the UDP from 1986 to 1987.
Mwilima dismissed allegations that he was still a member of the party at the time of the attacks in Katima Mulilo in August 1999.
The UDP was a registered political party that was founded in 1985 by former DTA leader Mishake Muyongo, who is now in exile.
The party was closely connected to the Caprivi Liberation Army that led the attacks on civilians, an army base, a radio station and other government infrastructure at the town on August 2. The UDP was banned in 2006.
"When the party was registered, I was just a member on paper. I left UDP party in 1987. I also have no membership cards of UDP. I do not know who formed part of the executive committee of UDP. I further learnt that the UDP was disaffiliated from DTA in 1999 through the media," said Mwilima.
Mwilima said in the year leading to the attack, while he was still based in Windhoek, he resigned as a DTA member of parliament due to political instability and victimisation of certain people in the Caprivi Region, adding that his life was in danger.
Mwilima further denied attending or holding meetings of the UDP along with Muyongo, who had by then slipped out of the country into Botswana.
"I used to visit the Caprivi Region as my family stays there. It was not possible for Muyongo to enter the country undetected as security was tight in the months before and after the attack.
"I do not know what kind of meeting you [January] are claiming I attended. If [the] meetings you [refer to] are general meetings, yes I attended meetings the induna [headman] of my village called and this was only if I had time," Mwilima said.
The trial continues today. Mwilima is represented by Jorge Neves.