Hundreds demand for Amushelelo’s release

Hundreds of people joined Michael Amushelelo’s wife, Julieta, at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning to demand the social activist’s release.

“I am surprised and grateful for the people who showed up today to show solidarity against the incarceration of my husband. I am in high hopes that he will get a fair trial and get the justice that he deserves,” she said.

Julieta led demonstrators from the Katutura Youth centre to the Windhoek central prison and then to the court.

Amushelelo has been in police custody for nearly seven months since his arrest during a protest against unemployment on 21 March. He appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura for a bail hearing yesterday. He is being held on charges of public violence, incitement to public violence and malicious damage to property. The protest for Amushelelo comes after he recently lamented on social media that the people he has been fighting for have “failed to free him from prison”. He also claimed that he was on a hunger strike.

A protester, Ndilimelila Elia, who travelled from Otjiwarongo, said if Amushelelo is not released, she is prepared to camp at parliament.
Independent Patriots for Change member Michael Mulunga, who was also part of the demonstrators, said Amushelelo has been very vocal in terms of fighting injustices, especially against young people and the exploitation of workers. “Therefore, we feel that he should be released,” he said.

Vistoh Sabita of the African People’s Socialist Party is of the opinion that Amushelelo is being held in custody to silence him.

“This is another form of suppression of speech coming from those who are exploiting the country’s resources and minerals,” he said.

Immanuel Festus from Walvis Bay expressed disappointment with the courts.

“We don’t see freedom in Namibia. We hear about it, but what we are seeing is the history of our liberation struggle repeating itself,” he said.

NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu said what is happening to Amushelelo is wrong and encouraged young people to stand up for their rights.

“Don’t be scared, be vibrant, because this is your time. If we allow the system to oppress us like this, this country will be led by those who are not Namibians,” he said.

He described the trial as a mockery of justice.

“Unfortunately we did not cut the umbilical cord between the politicians and the judiciary. And now the politicians are using the judiciary to silence the few of us. We have to attend this mockery just because we have to follow law and order,” he said.

Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement lawmaker, Elma Dienda, has blamed the Swapo Party for the continued incarceration of Amushelelo.

“There is no case here. The Swapo-led government must not use courts to fight their battles. We will fight them,” she told a crowd of protestors.

The ruling party’s information secretary Hilma Nicanor was not reachable for a comment on the matter.