“Long Ride for Justice” - Namibia: The second leg of Ben Freeth’s journey

Blog 7: Wednesday 6 March 2024

In the rugged Otjozondjupa / Otjiwarongo region

Ben has embarked on this epic ride through western Zimbabwe and west across Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, then down to Windhoek to raise awareness of a travesty of justice in Zimbabwe and the subsequent fallout for the entire southern African region. This was the closure of the regional court of justice, the Southern African Development Community’s SADC Tribunal, in 2012. Ben’s objective is to raise the profile of the need to have the SADC Tribunal reopened and to publicly deliver a letter to the SADC Tribunal office in Windhoek, the Namibian capital, as well as to the SADC Secretariat.

This blog is dedicated to all the wonderful Namibian people who have come together with such overwhelming generosity, warmth, hospitality and efficiency to spontaneously coordinate my journey with Johnny, my borrowed Namibian farm horse, along the dry and dusty route into Windhoek.

My mobile network isn’t so good at the moment as I’m on a farm in Otjiwa in the rugged Otjozondjupa / Otjiwarongo region of Namibia where they've had an inch and a half (38mm) of rain for the whole season. I'm standing on top of an anthill in the dawn looking over what is essentially a desert.

I've never seen such a dry piece of ground at the end of a rainy season, and my heart just goes out to the people of southern Africa, facing this drought at the moment, but especially where it's so severe on this particular farm and some of the farms around it - there's no green grass whatsoever.

The drought conditions are deeply worrying

(note the giraffe in the background)

And although the animals are looking OK at the moment, I dread to think what they will look like as the winter comes on and as we get towards the end of the winter, before the next rains. So your prayers for these people and their animals would be so much appreciated. It's just desperate to see. An inch and a half, and we’ve got less than a month to go before the end of the rainy season here.

The impact of almost no rain

Johnny also appreciates the hospitality

I've just managed to download and read comments and whilst I see the concerns expressed, I do believe that it would be wonderful to have as many horsemen and women as possible, and particularly children, to ride into Windhoek with us on Monday 18 March. I've asked for them to ride with us because they are our future. This not a confrontational issue, we must recognise that they are the children of the future.

So I think it would be very historic to encourage as many as possible to ride with me into Windhoek on Monday 18th of March when we will assemble peacefully outside the Turnhalle Building which was the seat of the SADC Tribunal until it was closed down in 2012.

I'm also praying that my good friend Chief Felix Ndiweni, the Paramount Chief of the Ndiweni people from Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland province, who is a brave and courageous leader, will be able to come with me. He doesn’t have travel documents at the moment, he's in exile just outside London.

Chief Felix Ndiweni, Paramount Chief of the Ndiweni people in Zimbabwe

He was put in jail and treated terribly by the Zimbabwe authorities. I would love Felix, who is a very influential leader, to be there. He has connections with all the other paramount chiefs and is a strong and devout Christian. It would be amazing if he were here to walk with me and Johnny at the head of the procession going to the former seat of the SADC Tribunal, so that is my plea.

My plea is also that we come to God in prayer and that's why I would love as many people as possible to come together on the evening of Sunday 17th March, the eve of the ride into Windhoek, to commit the 18th to prayer and for you all to understand the walk and the ride and the reason for this initiative.

In essence, it is that we all in southern Africa needs this court, the SADC Tribunal, we all need justice, we all need what is foundational to God’s throne, because God’s very throne is founded upon justice and righteousness. So this needs to be the foundation of our countries and our communities and indeed ourselves.

We are finalising details for the evening of 17th March, but it is an open meeting and there will be food and people can braai and, if they like, they can also bring their own food. We encourage you all to come to this event, it would be wonderful.

Then, on Monday 18th, we will come together again to ride to the SADC Tribunal, the historic Turnhalle Building in Bahnhof Street. My thanks to you all.

It's a beautiful dawn here and it brings to mind my favourite psalm, which is Psalm 118 - sorry I get emotional….

“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

So may you rejoice and be glad in it. I stand here in this desert, which is why it makes me emotional. But God can bring rain. God can bring justice. God can bring love. God can bring healing in a broken world.

So God bless you all.

Ben

Ben Freeth

Whatsapp: +44 7539 070 122 – limited mobile phone signal in parts of Namibia

Mobile: +263 773 929 138 (Zimbabwe)

E-mail: benfreeth7@gmail.com

Ben Freeth is the executive director of the Mike Campbell Foundation and is based in Zimbabwe. The MCF is taking action to restore human rights, justice, the rule of law and property rights for all in Zimbabwe.

"What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly

with your God." Micah 6:8