Pauline Dempers

Pauline Frannzisca Dempers (born 28 April 1962 in Aranos, Hardap Region) is a Namibian human rights activist and politician. In 1996, Dempers became national coordinator for Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS), a group which advocates for the rights of those detained by SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence. Dempers was active with the Congress of Democrats.[1]

Career

Dempers was a prominent anti-apartheid activist in southern Namibia prior to fleeing into exile in 1983 to join SWAPO. She and hundreds of other Namibian exiles were arrested by SWAPO in 1986 while living near Lubango, Angola. She was tortured and held in the 'dungeons' of Lubango prior to being released and repatriated to Namibia following the moves towards independence which culminated in March 1990. Dempers became national coordinator for BWS in 1999, three years after its formation.[2]

In 2007, Dempers was part of a controversy as a member of the Central Committee of the then-party of opposition Congress of Democrats. She and other committee members were expelled by a faction of the party led by Ben Ulenga. She joined up with the faction led by Ignatius Shixwameni and formed an 'interim national committee'.[1]

In March 2008, close friend and fellow detainee Kalla Gertze died from an asthma attack.[3] In eulogising Dempers, Gertze and called for members of the National Assembly members to open the debate on the Lubango detainees.[4]

References
  1. Rival CoD groups expel each other The Namibian, 13 August 2007
  2. Pauline Dempers Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Namibia Institute for Democracy, 2008
  3. CoD's Gertze Dies New Era, 14 March 2008
  4. Tributes flow for MP Gertze The Namibian, 20 March 2008


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