NAMIBIA: a background

Contents: WHAT IS APARTHEID? • HOW DID APARTHEID COME TO NAMIBIA? • WHAT IS THE PRESENT SITUATION? • WHERE DOES THE CHURCH STAND? • WHY SHOULD WE CARE? • The report says Namibia is a large country (the size of California, Oregon and Washington combined) with a small population (1.4 million) located in southern Africa. It is rich in natural resources - diamonds, uranium, cattle, fish; yet Namibia is a poor and oppressed nation; today, in defiance of the International Court of Justice and the United Nations, South Africa is illegally occupying Namibia, draining the country of its resources, and keeping Namibia in a constant state of terror and war. The report says in Namibia (as in South Africa) apartheid means the loss of all human and political rights; black Namibians may not vote or move about freely in their country; everything in Namibia is separate and unequal for blacks and whites: housing, health care, jobs, education, even church; families are forced to move away from "white" areas to barren homelands while fathers work far away in a migrant labor system separated from their families for up to a year at a time; much of the country is under martial law, with a dusk to dawn curfew for blacks; they may be arrested, tortured and killed without charges ever being filed; young black men are drafted into the South African military to fight against their own people. The report says Namibia has been involved in a struggle for independence for over 100 years. The report says in 1884 Namibia was annexed as a German colony. The report says 1906 after 20 years of oppression, the Herero and Nama people of central Namibia rebelled; Germany issued an "order of extermination." The report says the result: only 1/3 of the population survived, and their cattle and land were taken from them. The report says 1919 after Germany's defeat in W.W.I, Namibia was mandated to South Africa as "a sacred trust of civilization". S.A. was to care for the people and bring them to independence; instead, S.A. moved to annex Namibia and institute apartheid; S.A. betrayed its trust and still blocks Namibia's independence today. The report says 1966 after South Africa's refusal to listen to the many years of peaceful petitioning and work for independence by Namibians, the United Nations terminated South Africa's mandate and returned Namibia to U.N. jurisdiction. The report says 1971 International Court of Justice declared South Africa's presence in Namibia illegal. The report says 1973 U.N. recognized SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organization) as the authentic representative of the Namibian people. granting them official U.N. Observer Status. The report says 1878 Passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 435 calling for U.N. supervised elections. May 4 - The Kassinga Massacre - South Africa attacked a Namibian refugee camp at Kassinga. Angola; leaving nearly 700 (mostly women and children) dead. The report says currently. there is an international stalemate; South Africa refuses to withdraw troops and agree to U.N. supervised elections (UNSCR 435). The report says the United States continues to befriend and support South Africa (calling its policy "constructive engagement"); and has added Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola as a precondition for Namibia's independence. The report says present U.S. policy still opposes even partial economic sanctions against South Africa; peaceful options are running out; meanwhile. Namibians are arrested. tortured. and are losing their lives; South Africa wants to keep Namibia as a "buffer" state between herself and black Africa; in addition, South Africa continues to exploit Namibia's people and resources. using the enormous profits to strengthen its apartheid system. The report says Namibia is predominantly Christian (85%) and mostly Lutheran (60%); the Lutheran church in Namibia has been vocal in its opposition to apartheid and to South Africa's reign of terror; as a result. the church has been persecuted - printing presses bombed. pastors and parishioners arrested and tortured; South Africa labels anyone who opposes its apartheid policies as traitors and communists, whether· they be SWAPO freedom fighters or Lutheran bishops. The report says with all the problems around the world. why should we have a special interest in Namibia and South Africa? The report says South Africa claims to be a Christian democratic country and uses the Bible to support apartheid. the only system of legal racism in the world. The report says in the name of Christianity and democracy, South Africa continues to deny political and human rights to people of color both in Namibia and South Africa; as well as to block Namibia's independence. The report says apartheid is so contrary to the Gospel. the Lutheran World Federation and the ALC have said that in order to make a clear confession of faith; Christians everywhere must reject apartheid and work for change. Namibia is one of the places in our world today where being a confessing Christian is dangerous, often deadly, business; we have a special connection and concern for these brothers and sisters, for Namibia is the most Lutheran country by choice in the world today; our sisters and brothers have called to us for help! The report includes an excerpt from an interview of Bishop Kleopas Dumeni. The report discusses the ALC (American Lutheran Church),and the Evangelical Ovambokavango Church. [Note: The denomination name at the time this document was created was Evangelical Lutheran Ovambo-Kavango Church.]