The mother of Ida JIMMY, the only Namibian woman known to be serving a prison term on political charges, has confirmed that her daughter is still held in Windhoek central prison. The two women have been able to meet, but communication between them has been severely hampered by the prison requirement that they must speak in Afrikaans. Jimmy has some health problems, but is managing to study for her matriculation.
Until now, Ida Jimmy's whereabouts was unknown. She was known to be in Windhoek central prison at the end of 1980 following her conviction and sentencing to seven years imprisonment for calling for support for the liberation struggle, but it was believed that she might be removed to Kroonstad prison in South Africa following the outcome of her appeal (see FOCUS 33 p.9). No further information became available until February this year when the following interview was recorded with Jimmy's mother in Luderitz:
'The authorities allow me to go and visit my daughter (Ida Jimmy) twice a year. I am now getting assistance from the International Red Cross office in Windhoek with the cost of the train fare from here to Windhoek, because my husband cannot find work.
'When I visit Ida we have strict instructions from the prison authorities to speak only in Afrikaans. We are not allowed to say anything at all in our own language which is Nama. This makes it very difficult for us to communicate. My Afrikaans is not very good and I cannot express myself well in that language. There is always a prison guard with us watching everything when we are together. It is really only possible to say: 'Hello, how are you?' and nothing else.
'My daughter tells me that she is suffering from high blood pressure and that her legs often swell up. She looks quite well. Even if she is being treated badly she cannot tell me because every word we say is being listened to by the prison authorities. Anyway she always tries to tell me that everything is alright because she knows that I am old and not so healthy myself and she does not want to worry me.
'Ida is being kept in Windhoek central prison. I don't know exactly which part of it, but when I visit her I have to go through the main entrance and turn left through many locked doors. I think she is kept in a sort of wing of the prison.
'In August last year (1982) Ida's son, who was born in prison and had been with her there, was sent to me to look after. He was in good condition when he arrived and seemed to have been well looked after. My daughter's other children are also with me. They are now aged five, eight and thirteen years. The youngest boy is only two years old. Two of the children are at school here in Luderitz.
'I am 63 years old myself. I cannot go out to work because of my health. It is very difficult for me to feed and clothe myself and the children. My husband has just been dismissed from his job. He was working for the same company for 38 years. One day he did not go to work because he thought that it was Sunday when it was Monday. When he turned up the next day they just told him to leave. Since then he has been unable to find another job.
'My first daughter passed away some time ago leaving four children. Two of them are living in Windhoek because they are working and I have just sent another to join them. One is still with me here.
'Like Ida I also suffer with high blood pressure and swollen feet which makes it very difficult for me to even walk. The Council of Churches (CCN) in Windhoek gives me an allowance of R40 per month. They have also made arrangements with a shop here in Luderitz to give me R30 worth of food and goods per month. This helps a lot, but it is still not enough to feed and clothe all the children as well as pay for them to go to school etc. It would really be a great help if people living outside Namibia could send me some old clothes and things to me. I shall give you my postal address.
'Ida was sentenced on 17 December 1981. She has five more years of her sentence to serve. She was given seven years in October 1980. I have no direct contact or communication with the Red Cross office in Windhoek. I just go there to collect my train fares when I visit my daughter. Any member of Ida's family is allowed to visit her in prison if they apply to the Red Cross. So far it is only me who has been. Last year I also took Ida's children with me to see their mother.
'Somebody in the Welfare Department of the Council of Churches has been trying to get Ida out on parole, but so far they have not had any luck. I don't know if they are still trying. The prison authorities do not want to release Ida even for a day so that she can see her children.
'I do write letters to Ida and she replies to them. She tells me that my letters reach her. Often there are large chunks of our letters blanked out. The prison authorities obviously do not like us mentioning certain things.
'Ida tells me that when she is sick they give her good medical treatment in prison. I cannot tell if she just says this to stop me worrying about her. Once when I went to visit her she started to cry a lot. I told her that everything is in the hands of the Lord and one day she will come home to freedom. She does try to keep herself busy in the prison. At the moment she is studying for her matriculation. Ida also tells me that she is allowed to mix with the other women in the prison and that she has made some friends' (unpublished interview in IDAF files).
