The secrecy surrounding the arrest, detention and whereabouts of people picked up by the various security forces makes it impossible to arrive at an exact figure for the number of detainees held in Namibia at any time. While some detentions are reported in the press, and may be confirmed by the security forces, in other cases people simply disappear, and the police or army deny any knowledge of their existence. A spate of detentions took place in the northern region of Namibia in November 1982, and has continued to date. A large number of people were arrested in March and April 1983 in eastern Ovambo and in Kavango, and further arrests took place in the Kavango area in July 1983. Below is a list of all those believed to be currently in detention including those previously reported in FOCUS. Since releases are not always reported, it is not known whether some have in fact been released. The list is incomplete in that many arrests are not reported, or people are detained for a few days, interrogated and often tortured and then released.
The list groups those detained in the Kavango area in November 1982 where there is no confirmation of their release, those arrested in March and April 1983 mainly in Kavango, and those arrested in July 1983 in Kavango and eastern Ovambo. Four more persons detained in November 1982 are reported to have been released. They are Josef KAMBURU, Rufus MPASI, Nestor MUTUKU and Jonathan LIUU (also given as Johannes LIUW). Josef Kamburu died in a road accident after his release, in a collision with a military vehicle. Johannes KASAMBA, arrested in April 1983, was released and subsequently appeared at a press conference recounting his experiences of torture.
