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Friday, May 16, 2008 - Web posted at 9:15:54 GMT No-go areas undemocratic: analyst BRIGITTE WEIDLICHSWAPO's declaration of 'no-go zones' for political campaigning by other parties is "fundamentally undemocratic", a local political commentator has said. |
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"A public space does not belong to Swapo or any political party for that matter, ownership cannot be claimed," Graham Hopwood, Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), told The Namibian. "The claim by Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba on Wednesday as Swapo Deputy Secretary General, who said other political parties cannot come to Swapo 'areas' to campaign is worrying," Hopwood said when approached for comment by The Namibian. "President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is also the president of Swapo, recently called for political tolerance at a Swapo rally in Keetmanshoop and this call was very different from what was said by Minister Mbumba. This shows there are divisions within Swapo and there is need for leadership here." According to Hopwood, Mbumba sounded very different a day earlier on a morning radio programme of the national broadcaster NBC. On the programme Mbumba had criticised the blocking of an RDP meeting in Katutura on Saturday as "unfortunate and unacceptable", saying political parties should be allowed to exercise their democratic rights. Swapo alleged that RDP activists last Saturday lured people to their meeting under the pretext that it was a gathering of the municipality. However, RDP Khomas coordinator Jeremiah Nambinga showed reporters a copy of his letter to the Police a day earlier, informing them about the intention to hold a party meeting near a taxi rank. In a reaction to Mbumba's press conference on Wednesday, the interim secretary general of RDP, Jesaya Nyamu, said yesterday that Swapo had revealed its "fascist and autocratic inclination" for declaring some public spaces as "no-go areas for other political parties." "We shall not accept this concept of so-called no-go areas and RDP will only adhere to the electoral laws, the electoral code of conduct and the Namibian Constitution," Nyamu said. In an open letter sent to State House earlier this week, calling on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to rein in unruly Swapo members, the RDP compared them to Germany's erstwhile fascist Nazi regime. "The Namibian Constitution gives Namibians the freedom to fully participate in the nation's political activities, freedom of association, which includes forming and joining associations like political parties and trade unions. It (the Constitution) thus rejects the reactionary and apartheid notion of no-go areas in this country," the RDP letter stated. The RDP informed Pohamba in the letter that its members had suffered provocation and "fascistic" intimidation from Swapo in Katutura on Saturday, when Swapo supporters prevented the RDP from holding a meeting on an open space belonging to the municipality, even erecting a pole with a Swapo flag there. "Just like [German fascist leader] Adolf Hitler, the neo-fascist elements in Swapo are advocating that RDP members should be denied water and public tenders and that their business be boycotted. They [Swapo] are insisting that RDP meetings be suppressed," the letter continued. "You [Pohamba] made the solemn pledge [at your inauguration] on March 21 2005 to uphold this country's hard-won peace and stability and to defend our Constitution against all its potential violators. It is therefore incumbent on you, Mr President as the supreme leader of Swapo to rein in Swapo members to cease and desist from their anti-democratic activity. "It is your onerous duty to defend our Constitution. We of RDP will stand by you in defence of these noble principles," the RDP stated. |
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