Renthia Kaimbi
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says the government must take blame for the death of former Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) member of parliament and Caprivi high treason convict Geoffrey Mwilima.
Mwilima died in Windhoek on Thursday at the age of 70. He was receiving treatment at Lady Pohamba Private Hospital. He had been battling diabetes while in prison.
Mwilima was released on 24 December on remission after serving part of a 15-year sentence that began in December 2015. Remission is the reduction or cancellation of the remainder of a prison sentence after a person has served part of it.
In an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Thursday, Venaani said he had spent seven years calling for Mwilima’s release on health grounds.
“One thing that I’ll say is the government must take blame for not remissing that man too early. You remember, I have been fighting for the last seven years that that man was very sick and he must be released. So, I think I put the blame squarely on the government, the government has killed that man. Just one month after his release, and today he is dead,” Venaani said.
Mwilima had been in custody since August 1999 following his arrest in connection with the secessionist attacks in the former Caprivi region.
The case followed attacks in Katima Mulilo in August 1999, when the Caprivi Liberation Army targeted government buildings. After the attacks, 132 people were arrested and charged with 278 offences, including high treason, murder, sedition and public violence.
Mwilima served as a member of the National Assembly for DTA between 1992 and 2000.
Venaani said he raised Mwilima’s health with successive presidents.
“I was saying it to (Hage) Geingob. I was saying it to (Nangolo) Mbumba. I was saying, on conditions of this man’s health, release the man,” he said.
He also criticised doctors who assessed Mwilima during his imprisonment.
“And I want to shame all the doctors that were all the time telling us that this man was fit enough to be in prison. Shame on them!”
Despite his criticism, Venaani paid tribute to Mwilima.
“But I want to convey my deepest condolences. He was a very brilliant thinker with a brilliant personality, even in prison. I mean, I’ve met with him probably between 7 and 10 times in prison. He called me more than 50 times over the number of years that he was incarcerated, and he was a friend of mine that I’ll fondly remember. We came a long way, we have fought many battles together. We disagreed on the role of secessionism. He also wanted to bring amnesty. He wanted me to help him to speak to Geingob. I tried all avenues. We fought all the battles, but we lost, but I remember him very fondly.”
In November 2025, Venaani said he had attempted to start back-channel negotiations for amnesty by approaching former president Hage Geingob through Frans Kapofi, who was then minister of presidential affairs. He said the effort did not receive serious attention from government.
“President Geingob appreciated the silent approach I started … He viewed me as a strategist and always wanted to study my game plan,” Venaani told the Windhoek Observer at the time.
He said he also engaged exiled former DTA leader Mishake Muyongo, who he said was concerned about the long detention of those linked to the treason case.
The National Assembly yesterday issued a message of condolence, mourning Mwilima as a former colleague and recognising his service between 1992 and 2000.
