Churches fear for fate of Namibian refugees

Oarabile Mosikare | Friday March 11, 2016 14:07

 

The Botswana Council of Churches (BCC) had two representatives on the now famous ‘Go See, Come Tell’ mission held last June, whose outcome was supposed to provide finality on the question of whether Namibia was safe for its refugees to return.

The delegation to Namibia on June 28, 2015 was headed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, Augustine Makgonatsotlhe and included 13 Dukwi refugees as well as leaders from the BCC and Botswana Red Cross.

According to a supporting affidavit filed by the BCC’s Reverend Joseph Matsheng, and Reverend Dickson Moyambo, the mission ended in hostility and accusations. The BCC’s take on the mission differs materially in tone from the official record, which was signed by Namibia, Botswana and the UNHCR on July 2, 2015 and submitted in court as part of the case in which the refugees are challenging their deportation.

While the official record does state that the mission was aborted after the Namibian authorities felt the refugees had begun politicising the process, the BCC notes that chiefs in Caprivi (now Zambezi Region) warned their countrymen not to return. All this happened right before Namibia, Botswana and UNHCR officials.

“The mission was aborted on its third day after we were advised by the Governor of Zambezi Region to pack our bags and leave for Botswana the following day.

 “In particular, the Governor said he was surprised that the chiefs in the region had spoken in favour of Namibian refugees whom he said were not safe to come back to this country of origin (sic),” Matsheng and Moyambo say in the affidavit signed on December 24, 2015.

According to the BCC leaders, on June 29, 2015 the delegation visited Chinchimane village where the chief welcomed them.

“The chief indicated that the Caprivi region was changed to Zambezi region and the government did this without the involvement of the people of the region.  “He then cautioned the refugees not to return home, saying in terms of security and politics, the Zambezi region was not yet free.

“The tribal authority has no say about the land in the region, but if they do, they are referred to as rebels.”

They say the chief concluded by asking the Botswana government to assist with opening dialogue with the Namibian government and people of Zambezi region to address the Caprivi issue.

The following day the delegation visited three other villages where residents generally said the people living in the Caprivi/Zambezi region were not free.

“They live under fear of arrest and requested the Botswana government not to allow herself to be influenced into returning the refugees to an unsafe situation.”

“If the refugees would return back to the Zambezi, they would be killed and some of them arrested and imprisoned.  “Currently some of those who returned home earlier are in prison.”

Later in the evening of June 30, the Caprivi/Zambezi governor invited the delegation for dinner during which  he announced that he had been called by the high office in Windhoek and told to stop the mission forthwith. “He said the delegation needed to immediately return to Botswana and be out of Namibia by 10am.”