Africa-Press – Angola. The reports of some witnesses attest that bombs of various calibers by South African aviation, dropped on May 4, 1978, from 5 am to 6 pm, mostly on the Namibian refugee camp, caused pain, mourning and panic, not only in the group target, but also among the families of the commune of Cassinga and the headquarters of Jamba.
In a journey of 315 kilometers from Lubango to the village of Jamba, plus another 105, on a dirt track in need of restoration, visitors’ attention is drawn to the qualitative changes in Cassinga’s public infrastructure, as well as the place where the victims of the massacre.
In order to properly honor the victims, not only Namibians but also the natives of Jamba who lived near the site of the aviation attack, the governments of Angola and Namibia agreed to build a memorial and other adornments in a ceded area of 60 hectares.
The communal administrator of Cassinga, Domingos Jorge, one of the eyewitnesses of the tragic massacre, explained that the works are already at 80% of physical execution, only missing the placement of adornments such as the black granite mesh, lighting of the space and respective fence. .
He referred that the memorial will give greater dignity to those who 40 years ago were victims of the atrocities of the conflict between children of the southern part of Africa. Domingos Jorge pointed out that in addition to the tomb with a captivating architectural structure, the project includes leisure and recreation spaces for national and foreign tourists, with emphasis on Namibians and South Africans, who have already frequented the space regularly.
“Most of the Namibians and South Africans who visit the Cassinga space are relatives of the victims of the South African Mirage bombings, which at the time surprised, at dawn, the space that accommodated thousands of refugees from the neighboring Republic of Namibia”, he said.
Cassinga’s communal administrator added that some managed to leave the refugee camp to hide in safe places, especially in the bushes and mountains.
Elder Joaquim Kangombe revealed that, following the bombings, dozens of Cuban troops who were on their way, in an emergency, to the place with the purpose of providing first aid to the wounded and helping to protect the installations, were also victims of the bombs.
Already the former member of the former Popular Defense Organization (ODP), José Cassanga, at the time 27 years old, explained that “the Apartheid army predicted that there were only SWAPO soldiers at the attack site, when, in fact, there were also concentrated dozens of Namibian and Angolan civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly”.
José Cassanga was on his way to the refugee camp as a member of the ODP to check on the state of the garrison, the organization of the troops, as well as the supply of food and drinking water. At first, he said, “I didn’t notice the South African Mirages because of the way they were disguised, without noise or smoke from the engines. As they approached the attack zone, they sounded like birds in flight. first projectile landed in the refugee camp”.
José Cassanga, currently teaching History, said that he also saw the rapid disembarkation of heavily armed men dressed in a strange uniform, resembling banana leaves, who approached to murder all those who managed to escape the bombs.
To escape the bombing, he explained, he hid in caves in the mountains where trucks with food for the refugees were. “The areas where logistics were concentrated were very safe because they were disguised with grass and bushes, in order to distract the attention of invading pilots who permanently flew over the southern region”.
Preservation of the memorial
Dozens of Angolans and descendants of Namibians who have lived in Cassinga for more than 40 years considered that the memorial will serve as a testimony to new generations about the atrocities of the war that culminated in the independence of Namibia and the liberation of the South African people from apartheid’s grip. “A memorial with art is being born, which symbolizes the suffering of Angolans and Namibians for fighting to maintain and conquer the independence of their countries”, he said, stressing that the achievements in reference deserve the special attention of the two peoples, and not only .
University student António Malengue appealed to the Angolan and Namibian authorities to speed up the finishing work on the memorial, to facilitate the activity of researchers from the three countries, who regularly travel to the municipality of Jamba. “From the headquarters to Cassinga, there are around 105 kilometers on a dirt road that makes the journey tedious, which is why the two countries urgently create the conditions to pave the road, with a view to attracting more students and researchers from universities on the continent African, and beyond”, he appealed.
Young António Malengue, who is preparing his master’s thesis at the Faculty of Human Sciences in Windhoek on the theme “Reasons that Influenced Namibians to Take Refuge in Cassinga, Southern Angola”, also defended the construction of spaces to accommodate the visitors.
Heinous crimes
Professor of African History, Justino Cassinda, classified the bloody bombings of Cassinga as “purely heinous crimes against humanity and unprotected people, for mowing down and injuring thousands of civilians in a refugee concentration camp in national territory”.
Everything was designed, he explained, for the Apartheid regime to make the creation of a new State in the south of Angola unfeasible, as this regime was interested in maintaining control of Namibia and making the struggle to conquer and consolidate freedom in Southern Africa fail. “The mentors of the Apartheid regime were interested in stopping Namibia’s independence”, explained Justino Cassinda.
Village will be rehabilitated
The data that presshad access to attest that, in addition to the memorial, a project was designed for the rehabilitation of all the habitable space in the village of Cassinga, with the aim of enhancing the historic space more, as well as creating the conditions to attract tourists from several points in the world. Administrator Domingos Jorge guaranteed that the actions already carried out and those that are scheduled will ensure the preservation of every detail of the Namibian concentration points, with emphasis on the bunker where the families hid from the atrocities of the South Africans and their allies.
“In the former refugee camp, details with historical value are always protected. It is possible to see the wreckage and remnants of war materials used during the clashes between the belligerent forces, notably Angolan and Namibian against the South African”.
A medical center, a general education school, a drinking water collection and distribution system and the earthworks of a stretch of road over 100 kilometers are the result of the application, in the Cassinga commune, of public funds, with emphasis on the Plan Integrated Intervention in Municipalities (PIIM).
Cassinga’s communal administrator, Domingos Jorge, announced that other actions with a social impact would soon start. According to him, the requalification of the area where the Chamutete bombings took place must be concluded with some urgency, in order to allow decent reception and accommodation for tourists and researchers.
IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF LUBANGO
Luyovo has a school funded by Namibia
In the village of Luyovo, 18 kilometers east of the city of Lubango, there are dozens of boys left behind by former SWAPO troops and other Namibian citizens, resulting from their relationship with Angolan women. More than 90 soldiers and civilians from the Republic of Namibia, who fell on the battlefields during the conflict that involved Angola and Namibia against the South African Apartheid regime, are also buried in the referenced location.
In honor of the victims, the Namibian Government financed the construction of a school with four classrooms, for 40 students each, two offices, teachers’ and IT rooms and changing rooms, duly equipped. The Peter Eneas Nanyemba School (named after the former commander of the Namibian liberation struggle, who died in 1983), had a budget of US$998,726.
The amount used included the construction of a memorial in the cemetery where the remains of former SWAPO combatants lie. It should be noted that the Luyovo primary school will soon be expanded to accommodate more students.
Even with the school already in operation, the Namibian Government planned the construction of another second cycle school establishment. These schools, in addition to providing quality education, will prevent local young people from traveling long distances to the center of Lubango to study.
More than 32 teachers provide classes in Luyovo.
Young Fernando Pereira, 24 years old, is the son of a Namibian father and an Angolan woman. “My father’s name is Fernando Caliata, he was a SWAPO soldier and he left me when he was seven years old. I’m told he left for Namibia, after independence, to prepare the conditions and come get us”, he said.
Fernando attends Grade 6 and has already started a family, being the father of a couple. He hopes to see his relatives residing in Namibia again. “I work as a mason and I’m studying to learn to speak English later and one day go for a tour of Namibia”, he guaranteed.
The young man praised the initiative to build the Luyovo school, which, according to him, among other features, has a computer room that is equipped. Fernando Caliata stressed that the school has running water and electricity. “Our IT room has the Internet, which allows us to research more about the land of our parents”, said Calohangue Pedro, who is also of Namibian descent.
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