An unknown number of persons were reported to remain in detention in January 1983, following their arrest in the Kavango region in November 1982. They are being held under Proclamation AG9 by the Security Police and the SWA Territory Force (SWATF). Investigations by journalists from the Windhoek Advertiser to ascertain the exact number of detainees, their names and whereabouts, proved fruitless. In early January 1983, a Security Police spokesman confirmed that six detainees were still being held, but refused to release their names. A week later, the Chief of Security Police denied that a total of 34 persons had been detained, as suggested by the Windhoek Advertiser. He claimed that over the period since October 1982, a total of 11 persons had been detained by security police. Of these, two remained in detention. He refused to comment on those held by the SWA Territory Force.
RELEASES
The SWATF announced in early December 1982 that 19 people who had been detained during operations against SWAPO had been released. These included people whose arrest had not previously been reported. The following persons, whose detention was reported in FOCUS No. 44, have apparently been released: Simon KANDERE, Jaakko KANGAJI, Asser LIHONGO, Jesaya MBANZE, Michael MUHOYA, Malakia MUREMI, Hesron NGHIHINDIRUA, Immanuel SILAS, Alex SIREMO, Remigius SIYAVE. Kangaji and Silas were previously detained in December 1981. Kangaji, who was kept in detention for two weeks, suffered assault and electric shock torture while held at a military base at Mosese.
DETENTIONS IN THE NORTH
Others, whose arrest had not been reported in FOCUS, were also reported to have been released from SWATF custody: Anti AHINGURA, Egidius HAMUTENYA, Hausiku MUNEMI, Thomas KALUUGA, Paullus KAYOWA, Hendrik MUSONGO, Sinoka NDARA and Paulus SIKONGO.
In addition, Security Police confirmed the release of Kleopas SYAMBA, Frans MAYIRA and Gerhard KASAMA. Police had earlier denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of Kasama. He was apparently arrested at the home of the principal of Simanja Primary School, Eino MUNGONGI, who had himself been detained. Another man, Jafet HAUSIKU, was also arrested at Mungoni's house on 10 November, and released on 27 November, according to a SWATF spokesman.
UNKNOWN NUMBER STILL DETAINED
A number of detainees remained unaccounted for in early 1983. According to Amnesty International, Josef KAMBURU and Rufusi MPASI were still in detention in mid-December. Three others, whose arrest had not been reported, were also believed by Amnesty to be still in custody. They are Engelhard KAKORO, a teacher from Rundu, Andreas KANJINGA, a teacher from Njangana, and Nestor MUTUKU, also a teacher from Nkuku.
Police refused to provide information about other detainees to journalists from the Windhoek Advertiser. The Chief of the Police, General Dolf Gouws, told them that he was under no obligation to release information on detainees held under AG9 to the press.
Numerous further attempts made by the newspaper to trace those detainees not accounted for, whom the journalists put at about twelve, failed. In some cases, the use of different names or spellings of names by the press could have caused confusion.
DISAPPEARANCES
There is no news about two men who disappeared after being visited by members of the security forces posing as SWAPO guerillas. Jonathan LIUU, an employee of the Agricultural Department in Kavango and resident in Kankudi village, and Jonathan Suse KAMINA, an old man, are believed to have been abducted by armed men in military vehicles and taken to Rundu.
YOUTHS DETAINED
Six men were detained by the SADF near Ondangwa on 7 November 1982 and held under Proclamation AG9. They were released the following day. The men were Abel KANDJABANGA (16), Petrus ALVENDO (16), Willem KANGWE (17), Willem MATHEUS (32), Erastus KAKANGWA (35) and Thomas ANDIMA (20).
Djeipo SHINDELE, who was detained on the same night in the same area, was believed to be still in detention in mid-December.
There are no age restrictions on detentions under Proclamation AG9, according to the Administrator General's office.
BRUTALITY
Investigation of the events surrounding the detentions, and the subsequent statements by the SWATF and security police spokesmen, demonstrated both the wide powers held by the security forces in carrying out large scale arrests of anyone suspected of supporting SWAPO, the secrecy surrounding the detentions, and the wide use of intimidation, torture and assault against civilians. According to local residents, members of the Ovambo Home Guard and of Koevoet openly boasted to schoolchildren in the Kavango region that they had been sent from Ondangwa to 'sort out' the Kavangos.
School, was apparently severely beaten up, dumped at his house and picked up later by men in military uniform on 13 November. On his return home after his release seven days later, he reported that he had been kept blindfolded most of the time. He had lost a lot of weight and appeared shaky and had difficulty in speaking to his family.
