Found on the Web: Castrated Man Speaks Out

[balljack (imported)]

NAMIBIA: CASTRATED MAN SPEAKS OUT

By Asser Ntinda WINDHOEK, July 26 (Namibia Today) - The former South African Defence Force members together with elements of the South West Africa Territory Force and Koevoets castrated a villager in the north-western parts of Namibia in 1988 for having regularly sheltered and provided food to former combatants of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, PLAN, Swapo Party's military wing.

Mr Tjipira Mbimbo, who is in his late 70s now, from Etopaue Village, some 40km northwest of Opuwo, was one of the people in the area who provided food and shelter to PLAN combatants who were operating in the area at that time.

He paid with his testicles for helping those who were fighting for his freedom and independence.

Koevoets informants picked up the story that Mr Mbimbo and others in the village were assisting PLAN combatants and relayed that information to their Headquarters at Opuwo.

Within a few days, Mr Mbimbo was arrested, blindfolded and taken to Opuwo Detention Center, where he was beaten up while still being blindfolded.

"I was beaten up and kicked around everyday for several hours while in detention," said Mr Mbimbo, who is now blind.

"They put some human shits and clothes in my mouth so that I could not make any noise. They then tortured me with electric shocks on my private parts, while forcing me to tell them where PLAN Combatants were." He said that the torture and beating went on for days on end, and he was not given food, only water sometimes. One fateful day, they woke him up in the morning and told him that he could only be released and spared the beating and torture once he had told them where PLAN combatants were.

"I pleaded with them to show mercy. I told them I do not know where PLAN combatants were. I told them that I was not a soldier and would not know where PLAN combatants were. I pleaded with them to set me free. He said they could only set me free if I promise to join Koevoets.

"But the more I pleaded with them, the more I was beaten up. I dropped unconscious. What I saw the next day shocked me. I felt terrible pain between my legs as I slowly gained conscious. I tried to wake up and sit down but I could not.

"Then one of the soldiers, a white man, came and removed the blindfolds from my face and told me to sit down. I still could not sit down. He then told me they had taught me a lesson that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

"Without mercy, he showed me a small bowl which was some three meters away and told me that those were my testicles, saying that 'we have castrated you because you provide food and shelter to SWAPO terrorists.' I could not believe it. He then gave the bowl containing my testicles to a dog. I was then told they were going to set me free," said Mr Mbambu.

After his release, he was taken back to his village where he was left unattended to. The sore became sceptic and swollen. Mr Mbambu told some people with whom he was closely working with in assisting PLAN combatants that he had been castrated and felt severe terrible pain.

"It was difficult to take him to the hospital because the authorities would ask us what happened to him," said Mbambu's brother. "We were all shocked and did not know what to do. His condition was deteriorating. We all thought he was going to die and waited with fingers crossed for that fateful day to come.

But one of the villagers decided to tell PLAN combatants then operating in the area that one of their staunchest supporters had been castrated. The PLAN combatants could not believe the story but decided to go and see for themselves. They found Mr Mbambu terribly swollen.

The commander of the PLAN unit then called on his medical field officers, who treated him for several weeks. His condition started improving.

One day he found he could sit, though he had serious back pain.

"This man was castrated because of his unwavering support for SWAPO," said his brother. "But again it was SWAPO which saved his life. I never thought people can do such terrible things to other human beings. I was wrong. I witnessed this now and I saw this man through his severe pain." Mr Mbambu is very bitter. Some uncaring people mock him daily. But Mr Mbambu just ignores them, directing his anger more at the Boers. "Those people (Boers) have messed up my life. They have taken my manhood. What am I without my manhood? What am I in my community when everybody knows I am castrated? "I am going through severe emotional and psychological pain. This psychological wound would never heal. I will emotionally feel its pain daily until my death. I know it has come and gone but I am not my full self. My other half, perhaps far more important than what remained, has been cruelly and brutally taken away from me. It is gone forever. I will never be the same again." Mr Mbambu is married and has got five children. His body is weak. He has gone blind. His now passes yellow urine. The back pain has become chronic. He is virtually bed-bound, and hopes of recovering are fading.

"I know I am going to die soon but I know who has slowly killed me," he said, turning his head in another direction in anguish. "Those Boers have no hearts. What have I done so I could deserve this treatment? I will go to my grave asking this question. Why? And why me? "Is this the prize one should pay for freedom? I am worthless now, emotionally and psychologically devastated. I am glad I have lived long enough to see and feel independence which has cost my testicles. To those who did it, wherever they may be out there, they should know I am in pain. I am going to my grave very angry and emotionally pained," said Mr Mbambu.

"But I do not regret having helped those PLAN combatants. They were my sons. I could not shy away from them. I had to stand by them. I will die a SWAPO man. And I salute President Sam Nujoma." One of PLAN combatants, Captain F Ndokosho, who operated in that area for several years described Mr Mbimbo as a brave man who risked his life and went through many dangers to provide food and shelter to PLAN combatants.

"I take off my hat for this man. He saved our lives. He is a hero. He went through severe pain. I salute him. He should be helped in his pain now for him to feel and realize that his contribution to the struggle did not go in vain," said Major F Ndokosho.

"The Boers are cruel and inhuman I am telling you," said John Nauta, from State House who went to visit Mr Mbimbo recently. "What human rights are they talking about now? This man is in pain now because of them. Very cruel people." -- Namibia Today