Political Perspective

By: GWEN LISTER

I WONDER whether this sudden and inexplicable fuss about traditional leaders isn't getting out of hand. We all accept these chiefs have their place in society, but if we aren't careful in acceding to their demands, we'll have recreated the old Odendaal Plan in a different guise in independent Namibia.

IT'S obviously an awkward situation for Government.

While they're committed to a 'one-Namibia, one-nation concept',

it is difficult to implement in practice when various ethnic groups

are agitating for recognition, and more crucially, of course, with

elections just on the horizon, Swapo will not want to arouse the

ire of this sometimes volatile group of people by appearing to want

to marginalise the traditional leaders.

 

The chiefs, currently assembled in what is now called a Council

of Traditional Leaders, represent some 42 traditional authorities,

and it seems the number will keep growing, and herein lies a

problem as well.

 

Who do you recognise, and who not? And what role and functions

do you accord to the leaders of these various groups? Addressing

the opening of their meeting in Windhoek, Prime Minister Theo Ben

Gurirab was very circumspect on the subject.

 

He emphasised that traditional authorities should deal with

'traditional and cultural issues' within their areas of

jurisdiction, but there's no doubt that chiefs will want more, and

this is evident from the proposal to rename their Council a

'National House'; the request to Foreign Affairs to grant them 'VIP

status', and other indications that they're not prepared to play

the low key role that is envisaged by Government.

 

Minister of Local Government, Joel Kaapanda, was also measured

in his remarks because the chiefs issue is a political minefield! I

just think the whole issue is rife with volatility.

 

I think too that it's in Government (and the country's) best

interests to be firm rather than the contrary when somewhat

outrageous demands are made by these ethnic leaders many of whom

are paid, and yet do nothing for their sometimes imperilled

communities, if they're even staying there at all! One would think

that as Namibians we would work towards a society in which ethnic

sectors are not as clearly defined into geographic areas as was the

case under apartheid, and to a large extent, continues today.

 

While we condemn so much of what apartheid represented in all

its negative manifestations, we tend to turn a blind eye to the

fact that the South African Government put in place many of these

same chiefs and mini kingdoms to perpetuate and strengthen their

'divide and rule' tactics over Namibians.

 

Lest we forget, many communal/traditional leaders co-operated

with the former SA regime in exchange for a powerbase.

 

Gurirab continued his placatory speech by speaking of the role

of traditional leaders in maintaining peace and stability and said

that Government, in turn, would help 'strengthen their

capacity'.

 

But again the functions of these authorities will in all

likelihood conflict with regional authorities and, at the end of

the day, we'll be back again with tiers of bantustan-type

bureaucracies.

 

That is a danger.

 

So let's give these traditional leaders a place.

 

But we should not give in to outrageous demands such as 'VIP

status' and/or the need to arm themselves because if they're true

leaders, they don't need laagers and guns to protect themselves

against those who are, after all, members of their own

communities.

 

While they're committed to a 'one-Namibia, one-nation concept', it

is difficult to implement in practice when various ethnic groups

are agitating for recognition, and more crucially, of course, with

elections just on the horizon, Swapo will not want to arouse the

ire of this sometimes volatile group of people by appearing to want

to marginalise the traditional leaders.The chiefs, currently

assembled in what is now called a Council of Traditional Leaders,

represent some 42 traditional authorities, and it seems the number

will keep growing, and herein lies a problem as well.Who do you

recognise, and who not? And what role and functions do you accord

to the leaders of these various groups? Addressing the opening of

their meeting in Windhoek, Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab was very

circumspect on the subject.He emphasised that traditional

authorities should deal with 'traditional and cultural issues'

within their areas of jurisdiction, but there's no doubt that

chiefs will want more, and this is evident from the proposal to

rename their Council a 'National House'; the request to Foreign

Affairs to grant them 'VIP status', and other indications that

they're not prepared to play the low key role that is envisaged by

Government.Minister of Local Government, Joel Kaapanda, was also

measured in his remarks because the chiefs issue is a political

minefield! I just think the whole issue is rife with volatility.I

think too that it's in Government (and the country's) best

interests to be firm rather than the contrary when somewhat

outrageous demands are made by these ethnic leaders many of whom

are paid, and yet do nothing for their sometimes imperilled

communities, if they're even staying there at all! One would think

that as Namibians we would work towards a society in which ethnic

sectors are not as clearly defined into geographic areas as was the

case under apartheid, and to a large extent, continues today.While

we condemn so much of what apartheid represented in all its

negative manifestations, we tend to turn a blind eye to the fact

that the South African Government put in place many of these same

chiefs and mini kingdoms to perpetuate and strengthen their 'divide

and rule' tactics over Namibians.Lest we forget, many

communal/traditional leaders co-operated with the former SA regime

in exchange for a powerbase.Gurirab continued his placatory speech

by speaking of the role of traditional leaders in maintaining peace

and stability and said that Government, in turn, would help

'strengthen their capacity'.But again the functions of these

authorities will in all likelihood conflict with regional

authorities and, at the end of the day, we'll be back again with

tiers of bantustan-type bureaucracies.That is a danger.So let's

give these traditional leaders a place.But we should not give in to

outrageous demands such as 'VIP status' and/or the need to arm

themselves because if they're true leaders, they don't need laagers

and guns to protect themselves against those who are, after all,

members of their own communities.

---