War vets, Koevoet urged to tell stories
In a bid to have the Oniimwandi Koevoet Military Base and Uupindi mass grave declared as national heritage sites, soldiers from both sides have been called upon to tell their stories.
The Oshana governor, Clemens Kashuupulwa, has called upon former Koevoet and the South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) members to assist in providing information of what happened to the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatants during the struggle.
This comes after the deputy minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Chief Samuel Ankama submitted an application to the National Heritage Council (NHC) to declare the former Oniimwandi Koevoet Military Base as a war museum and elect a shrine at the Uupindi mass grave where executed PLAN combatants were buried.
Ankama said that Namibians were detained without trial, tortured or killed at the base and last week, the NHC held a public consultation meeting at Oshakati which was attended by, among others, survivors of the Oniimwandi atrocities.
Kashuupulwa said that in order for the two places to be declared as national heritage sites, it is important for those who survived the torture and those who were complicit in the torture, to come forward and tell what happened. “Some of these kinds of places are not known by many people, especially the younger generations, and I think we need to do our homework to make sure that we are giving our future leaders the correct information as to what happened,” said Kashuupulwa. “This is easy because some of the survivors are still alive and they can tell their story. But if it is possible, those who were members Koevoet and SWATF, must also come forward and tell what us happened to the people they detained there or, how they were tortured.”
Ankama said that some of the Namibians who were detained at the base were said to have escaped and went into exile. Many of these have not returned to Namibia.
He said the base was well known by the generations of the time, both here and internationally. “Many of the comrades were either tortured or killed as they refused to cooperate with the enemy. Today we see some of the liberation struggle victims amongst us here, still alive, and they can tell us what they know and what they have seen, or can recall,” Ankama said. “Let those who are with us and can remember what happened, come forward and contribute to the history that will inspire our next generation in order for them to focus on the principals of self-determination and nationhood.”
Ankama said that the Uupindi mass grave deserves a national shrine because many of the Swapo combatants who were massacred at different places in 1989 were dumped, in a shallow grave, by Koevoet. The head of heritage management at the NHC said they received the nomination of the two sites and the NHC secretariat sit to decide whether to declare the two places as national heritage sites or not.
“It is based on the information that we are going to receive from you that will assist either to approve or decline the nomination. In your case it is easy because some of the survivors will tell their stories by themselves and this will assist with your nomination,” Ndalikokule said.
The former Oniimwandi Koevoet Military Base is currently the police camp for a unit of the Special Reserve Force.
This comes after the deputy minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Chief Samuel Ankama submitted an application to the National Heritage Council (NHC) to declare the former Oniimwandi Koevoet Military Base as a war museum and elect a shrine at the Uupindi mass grave where executed PLAN combatants were buried.
Ankama said that Namibians were detained without trial, tortured or killed at the base and last week, the NHC held a public consultation meeting at Oshakati which was attended by, among others, survivors of the Oniimwandi atrocities.
Kashuupulwa said that in order for the two places to be declared as national heritage sites, it is important for those who survived the torture and those who were complicit in the torture, to come forward and tell what happened. “Some of these kinds of places are not known by many people, especially the younger generations, and I think we need to do our homework to make sure that we are giving our future leaders the correct information as to what happened,” said Kashuupulwa. “This is easy because some of the survivors are still alive and they can tell their story. But if it is possible, those who were members Koevoet and SWATF, must also come forward and tell what us happened to the people they detained there or, how they were tortured.”
Ankama said that some of the Namibians who were detained at the base were said to have escaped and went into exile. Many of these have not returned to Namibia.
He said the base was well known by the generations of the time, both here and internationally. “Many of the comrades were either tortured or killed as they refused to cooperate with the enemy. Today we see some of the liberation struggle victims amongst us here, still alive, and they can tell us what they know and what they have seen, or can recall,” Ankama said. “Let those who are with us and can remember what happened, come forward and contribute to the history that will inspire our next generation in order for them to focus on the principals of self-determination and nationhood.”
Ankama said that the Uupindi mass grave deserves a national shrine because many of the Swapo combatants who were massacred at different places in 1989 were dumped, in a shallow grave, by Koevoet. The head of heritage management at the NHC said they received the nomination of the two sites and the NHC secretariat sit to decide whether to declare the two places as national heritage sites or not.
“It is based on the information that we are going to receive from you that will assist either to approve or decline the nomination. In your case it is easy because some of the survivors will tell their stories by themselves and this will assist with your nomination,” Ndalikokule said.
The former Oniimwandi Koevoet Military Base is currently the police camp for a unit of the Special Reserve Force.
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