Staff Reporter
THE Chairperson of the Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT), Herbert Jauch, revealed that the Inspector General of the Namibian Police revoked the permit of the MV Kathrin, a vessel that was headed to the port of Walvis Bay with military equipment and ammunition destined for Israel.
“This past Saturday, the Inspector General of the Namibian Police wrote to the vessel, MV Kathrin, that its permit to enter Namibian waters had been revoked. And we found then also confirmation that they actually have received this permit, and that the explosives unit of the Namibian Police was aware that there was dangerous substance or materials or equipment on the ship. So, in that sense, it was then a confirmation that there must be military equipment or ammunition on that vessel,” Jauch said.
He explained that the permit revocation followed ESJT’s appeal to the Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, on Friday evening, urging her to intervene and prevent the vessel from entering Namibian waters after the organisation received information about the military cargo.
“Given the stance that the Namibian Government has taken on Palestine and on the genocide, and how we are supporting South African case in this matter, we cannot be silent, and we cannot allow this to happen. Our Justice Minister on the same evening, Friday night still, contacted her other colleagues, including Home Affairs, the Works Minister, International Relations to say we need to step in now, we cannot allow this to happen, and that helped a lot,” Jauch explained.
Following this, he added, they believed the matter was resolved, but on Sunday, they discovered that the vessel was still headed for Walvis Bay.
“We got again through our international contacts information that they are tracking this vessel, and it is heading straight for Walvis Bay. Through our contacts here, we got that information through to the port’s captain to say: look, the ship was not supposed to be in Namibian waters, we have a written order for them to leave, and they are headed to Walvis Bay. And then it was actually only late on the Sunday evening that the ship finally turned away. The port contacted them once more to inform them that the permit to enter Namibian waters had been revoked and they sailed on,” the ESJT chairperson added.
