Does Rumpf respect the truth?

National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) dismisses with the utmost contempt they deserve, the false portrayal and malicious attack (i.e. Angriff) on its reputation and good name. On 18 January 2005, the Namibian Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Hanno Rumpf, referred to the leading national human rights monitoring and advocacy watchdog as "a disreputable organization".

Writes Rumpf: "Your readership should know that your article is based on the scanty accusations of Opposition politicians as well as pronouncements of the disreputable Namibian Society for Human Rights, which before Namibian independence was a propaganda instrument of the former apartheid regime."

In a Press Release titled "Comments of the Namibian Ambassador about Der Spiegel, Nr. 3/2005, 17.01.2005, 'Zweifel am Wahlergebnis'" Rumpf was reacting to a critical article in Der Spiegel magazine (17 January 2005) titled "Doubts over Election Results".

The intention of Rumpf's "Angriff" appears to cow into silence or incite prejudicial portrayal of NSHR as a credible source of accurate information on the dire socio-economic and political situation in the country.

"As leading and truly independent civil society actors in this country, we are often a prime target of demonization, scapegoating, hate speech, name-calling and character assassinations, coming from certain high-ranking officials of the Namibian government. This state of affairs is reminiscent of German disinformation process of 1933-1945 and Cold War propaganda 1945-1985. Lest Ambassador Rumpf's memory betrays him, NSHR was founded on 1 December 1989 and, as such, did not exist before Namibian independence, let alone having been a propaganda instrument of the apartheid regime. Doesn't Mr. Rumpf have respect for the truth? If this is the type of ambassadors Namibia has in foreign countries, then God forbid", said NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.

NSHR sees Ambassador Rumpf's Angriff as a desperate strategy to attract much-needed foreign investments in the country where corruption has been taking deep roots over the last 15 years.

"This increasingly nervous tone reflects the growing intolerance of the regime which Rumpf represents. Critical viewpoints are seen by some top Government leaders as threats and are censored or eliminated from all media, including newspapers and magazines", added Ya Nangoloh.

NSHR is longing to see the promotion and consolidation of a Namibian society in which intolerance gives way to tolerance and deception to honesty. In the absence of these core values no true freedom, justice and peace can be achieved and sustainable human development becomes illusive.



Nationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte, Windhoek

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