Churches, UN step in to help torture victims

The Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) Secretary General Reverend Nangula Kathindi said on Wednesday that the council was prepared to “serve as a mediator with all segments of Namibian society to work together to heal the deep mental wounds resulting from torture”. “The CCN recognises that the long-term effects of torture must be addressed. It is not enough to condemn torture without helping torture victims recover from the physical and psychological effects,” he was quoted saying in the ‘Namibian’. Kathindi was speaking at an event in Windhoek dedicated to the International Day Against Torture. The event was attended by victims of the notorious ‘Lubango Dungeons’, including Ombudswoman Bience Gawanas, Breaking the Wall of Silence chairman Pauline Dempers and University of Namibia academic Kalla Gertze, all of whom recounted their experiences in exile at the hands of Swapo. Resident Co-ordinator of the UN System in Namibia, Jacqueline Badcock, said at the same occasion that the UN also supported efforts aimed at bringing “the perpetrators of such grave crimes to justice”. “The United Nations technical assistance programmes help countries to establish national infrastructures for the protection and promotion of human rights, and to train public officials - such as police officers and judicial personnel - with responsibility for the realisation of human rights,” she was quoted saying. Namibia is a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture.