EDITORIAL: Justice must not be one-eyed

The death of former army general ‘Jesus’ Hawala has reignited an old, unresolved question: why did he never formally acknowledge or apologise for the atrocities allegedly committed in the Lubango dungeons? For many survivors, this silence has been a source of deep and lasting pain.The demand for accountability is valid. Hawala’s name is tied to some of the darkest chapters of Namibia’s liberation history. But it is telling that similar demands are not being made to those who fought against Swapo and, by extension, Namibia’s independence itself.War is never clean. Atrocities were committed on both sides. And while apartheid South Africa - with its superior military power - committed the greater share of these horrors, the truth remains that violence, torture, and dehumanisation left their scars across the entire Namibia.Some of those who served in the South African army were Namibians themselves. They are still among us - living quietly, often without ever having faced a question, let alone a public reckoning, for their actions. Yet these men maimed, raped, and killed. Some of their victims still walk our streets – if their legs were not blown off.If we are to speak honestly about justice, then it cannot be selective. Any genuine platform for accountability must bring together voices and representatives from both sides of the liberation war. It cannot be a courtroom for one and a free pass for the other.Namibians whose futures were stolen by the brutalities of war exist across the political divide of that era. Their pain is the same, their trauma no less deserving of recognition and redress simply because of which flag was stitched onto their uniform.To haul one group to the podium while the other folds its arms in silence is not justice.

EDITORIAL: Justice must not be one-eyed

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-08-14

Please login to leave a comment

EDITORIAL: Justice must not be one-eyed

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-08-14

Please login to leave a comment

Login