Paulus ANDREAS (26) and Stefanus NGHIFIKWA (41) appeared in the Windhoek Supreme Court at the end of August on charges arising from a car-bomb blast which caused R2 million damage at a vehicle park near military headquarters in central Windhoek, in July 1987. Andreas stated that he was a trained SWAPO combatant and had acted under orders in blowing up the target. Nghifikwa, principal of a school at Engela in northern Namibia, was accused of purchasing the car used in the explosion. The case was remanded.
A church-backed legal aid centre was opened in the heart of the northern Namibian war zone in July. In an area where there are no lawyers in full-time practice, the centre offers legal advice and assistance to victims of army and police abuses. Five weeks after the centre was opened, two of the four workers were detained by soldiers, but later released.
The Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran bishops in Namibia are trustees of the Human Rights Centre, which is situated in a Lutheran conference centre in Ongwediva. The centre aims to assist with cases of deaths, abductions, detentions, disappearances, rapes, assaults and destruction of property. Such abuses by the South African army and police have seriously escalated in Namibia in recent years.
On 15 August the manager of the centre, Philip MWANDINGI, and a worker, Benjamin HAUFIKO, were detained by soldiers in the Ombalantu area. They were investigating reports that troops had killed three people and detained seven others in the area. The two were held under Proclamation AG9 for two days, and were released after strong protests from the backers of the centre.
