Fourteen SWAPO members and officials are believed to be still held in detention under the tough emergency regulations introduced by the SWAPO Administrator General in April this year (Proclamation AG26). Most of these have been held at Gobabis prison, east of Windhoek — in July the scene of a hunger strike by detainees demanding to be either charged and put on trial or released immediately. The detainees include two members of SWAPO's National Executive, Rev. Festus Naholo (Secretary for Foreign Affairs), and Mr. Frans Kambangula (Secretary for Transport). The two men were first arrested on 24 April and conditionally released at the beginning of July to take part in talks in Luanda with representatives of the Western powers. On 26 July the two men were rearrested under AG26 on their arrival back at Windhoek airport.
Apart from the detentions under AG26 a number of SWAPO members have been arrested in recent weeks in connection with South Africa's campaign to register voters for proposed general elections. Four men, Daniel Nashidengo, Habakuku Shilongo, Jacob Mbande and Jonas Johannes, appeared in the Tsumeb Magistrates Court on 28 June after being arrested for distributing leaflets calling on Namibians to boycott registration. They were each subsequently sentenced to a fine of R100 or 12 months imprisonment (9 suspended) for distributing intimating literature, after being held in detention for a month.
SWAPO's deputy administrative secretary, Emmanuel Ngatjizepo, was arrested after a rally in Windhoek on 25 June and detained under the Terrorism Act. His speech had allegedly opposed the registration exercise.
The SWAPO Administrator General, Mr. Justice Steyn, has warned that "ruthless" action will be taken against anyone who "illegally disrupts the process of the registration of voters". The registration proclamation makes provision for prosecution and penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment and/or heavy fines have been laid down. Mr. Steyn's reaction to pamphlets distrubuted in Grootfontein and Walvis Bay at the end of June urging workers to go on strike as a form of resistance to South Africa's election plans was that this constituted "treason" against the country and its inhabitants. Three more alleged SWAPO members, Festus Aaron (26), Sagarius Nambuli (42) and Andreas Kodi (21), were arrested in Otjiwarongo in July for opposing registration, while according to Rev. Festus Naholo, "they even came to us in prison and told us we must register as voters since we are SWAPO leaders. If we register, they said, Sam Nujoma would have to compromise. We all refused to register".
It is impossible to say precisely how many Namibians are held in the custody of the police or the South African Defence Force in the north of Namibia. Around 200 prisoners, according to official South African sources, were captured and brought back by the SADF from raids into Angola at the beginning of May. Two thirds of these may still remain in detention.
