Thousands commemorate Cassinga Day
By Anna Nakambale and Levi Upula

Thousands of people from various places in Windhoek converged at the UN Plaza to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Cassinga Massacre where nearly a thousand people were killed in cold blood by the then South African racist soldiers in southern Angola.

It was the worst massacre ever experienced by Namibians in the history of SWAPO Party since its formation in 1960. The attack took place on May 4, 1978. Among the thousands who attended the commemoration were some of the survivors of Cassinga, who lit candles in remembrance of that sad day.

In his speech, which was read by Defence Minister, Major General, (retired) Charles Namoloh, President Pohamba described the attack as cowardly and barbaric, which left many people dead and wounded, mainly women and children.

“Today,” he said, “we pay homage to these brave sons and daughters of our soil who gave their lives and shed their precious blood on that fateful day.

Their sacrifices must inspire all Namibians who were fortunate and privileged to witness the dawn of independence and indeed the future generations, to build a better Namibia where all our people can realize their fullest potential.

It should inspire us to cherish and promote the noble values of liberty, equality and nondiscrimination.

While the Cassinga Massacre exposed the ruthlessness of the enemy to the entire world, it emboldened the SWAPO Party to further intensify the liberation struggle at all fronts.”

He said that Namibia’s independence was made possible by thousands of people who sacrificed their precious lives and stood firm in the face of danger and fought with determination, adding that Namibians would never forget their sacrifices and their bravery.

Founding President Dr Sam Nujoma told the commemoration event that the attack on Cassinga took place when SWAPO and the Western Contact Group, made up of France, Britain, West Germany, the US and Canada, were concluding negotiations for Namibia’s independence at the United Nations in New York.

“At that time,” he said, “the Boers did not want to sit down with SWAPO on the table to negotiate the modalities leading to Namibia’s independence. While we were negotiating, the Boers cowardly attacked Cassinga Refugee Camp.

“The attack did not stop us from fighting. We continued to mobilize the people and rally them behind SWAPO. We used all the political, diplomatic and military means at our disposal and defeated the Boers.

“To the born-frees, independence did not come on a silver platter. I appeal to you to study hard and complete your education. I want you to pass your examinations with A, A, A, not B or C.”

One of the survivors of the Cassinga Massacre, Cde Willy Mary Amutenya, who lost one of his arms in the attack, said that the attack was nasty and bloody for many refugees in the camp. It took place on Ascension Day and nobody expected anything like that to happen on that day.

“It was indeed a bad and deadly moment – all you hear were gunshots, screaming and swearing – all mixed up. And imagine, if the battle took approximately six hours, this meant that many people were killed and maimed – worse even, after the battle, we experienced a situation where some comrades were just shot dead in cold blood.

“We know for sure that this killing was a barbaric act of betrayal, and with time, history will get to the bottom of it. We shall not forget and not even sleep until the truth is finally out. SWAPO is here to stay.”