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Rights Groups Banned from Demonstrating at SADC Summit in Namibia

   Joe DeCapua 16 August 2010

   While  Southern African Development Community leaders meet in Namibia,
   rights  groups  say theyâve been blocked from protesting what they see
   as SADCâs failure to uphold human rights.

   A  police ban against demonstrations is in effect across the country.Â
   In  a  recent  statement, police said they imposed it because they are
   unable  to  provide  the protesters adequate protection due to a heavy
   schedule.

   In  Windhoek,  Phil ya Nangoloh, head of the Namibian National Society
   for  Human  Rights,  says  some  unresolved  rights issues in southern
   Africa  include  the  killing  of  a  human  rights worker in the DRC,
   harassment  of  rights  defenders  and  rights  abuses in Zimbabwe and
   Swaziland.

   âThe  human  rights  situation  in  the SADC region is precarious,â he
   says.

   Ya  Nangoloh  says human rights groups are unable to get their message
   to SADC leaders at the Windhoek summit.

   âYou  cannot  even get close to them.  We would have liked a group of
   human  rights defenders to go there, but if you go there in a group of
   five,  that  will constitute a gathering, an assembly of people, which
   was banned by the Namibian police on the 12^th of August.â

   The  police  ban  includes  âall gatherings, all marchesâ until August
   20^th.   âBut we know that this ban is intended only for human rights
   defenders,  human  rights  organizations and opposition, who wanted to
   demonstrate,â he says.

   The  societyâs  lawyers  say  the  ban  is unconstitutional.  Another
   rights group plans to challenge it in court.

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