United We Stand?

By: Political Perspective

SWAPO should have dealt with the causes of disunity in their ranks way back when the three-candidate Presidential row threw them into disarray, because now it has come back to haunt them at a time they least need it! Now the leadership can call for unity as much as they like, but it's going to take a lot more than mere public appeals to heal these wounds.

I FEEL that outgoing President Sam Nujoma is largely culpable in

this regard and it is his successor who has to contend with the

fallout.

What could/should have been a straightforward, three-person

contest for the presidency, turned into an ugly witch-hunt,

primarily due to Nujoma's own opposition to one of the three

candidates, and his actions at the time of the extraordinary Swapo

congress last year.

 

Among others, his summary removal of Hidipo Hamutenya as

Minister of Foreign Affairs, followed by other dismissals and/or

marginalisation of those perceived to be supporting Hamutenya.

 

And the feeling is generally that his successor, Hifikepunye

Pohamba, isn't happy about the legacy the President has left him;

probably quite justifiably so.

 

There were attempts to heal the rift shortly after the historic

congress last year which elected Pohamba as successor.

 

Pohamba himself was at the forefront of these efforts; and the

unsuccessful candidates joined him on a public platform in an

attempt to show the country that all was well between them.

 

This didn't work, however, probably for the simple reason that

everyone knew the issue wasn't whether there was a rift between any

or either of the three or not, but simply because they knew the

President himself wasn't party to these efforts at

reconciliation.

 

I doubt that we can expect Nujoma to be the initiator of

rapprochement, because he is usually simply inflexible when he

makes his mind up about someone or something.

 

So, whether Pohamba likes it or not, he's going to have to be

the one to stand his ground on his Cabinet choices and to ensure he

is more inclusive when he does so.

 

Trade unionist Peter Naholo expresses himself quite openly on

the subject this week, saying that although both Nujoma and Pohamba

had this week called for unity, actions spoke louder than

words.

 

He correctly pointed out that it was the Central Committee of

Swapo that put the names of the three presidential candidates

forward, and Congress delegates simply exercised their freedom of

choice.

 

Now those who chose the candidate not to the liking of the

President have to pay the price! He went on to outline the deep

divisions in Party ranks as a result of the witch-hunt, and

emphasised that there was a need to openly confront these

issues.

 

He did not mention, and in my view therefore saw little prospect

of, the incumbent initiating reconciliation; and so his appeal went

instead to the President-in-waiting to make this a priority when he

assumes office.

 

(President Nujoma, unfortunately, has always seen blind loyalty

as the definition of 'unity', which, in the real world, is not the

case at all).

 

And Naholo touched on another related issue, which is one very

close to my own heart, namely that those who parade themselves as

the most patriotic of all Namibians, who sport the Party colours at

any and every opportunity, who surround the President as

sycophantic 'yes-men' are not necessarily the righteous beings they

try to portray themselves as.

 

And it is true.

 

It is surely time that everyone, more particularly the Swapo

rank and file, simply grow up and learn to accept one another as

human beings, who may differ on a very wide variety of subjects,

but this in itself does not make them 'disloyal' or 'unpatriotic'

at all.

 

Quite the contrary.

 

In many cases those who analyse, discuss, try to identify

problems in order to work on them, are often those who care the

most.

 

There is little or no point in the people who make pretences at

unity while they are simultaneously (and figuratively) stabbing

their political opponents in the back.

 

Unity at all costs is in any case a pointless exercise.

 

It only has meaning if people truly agree with one another.

 

But to use the call to unity to remind people that they must act

like a flock of unquestioning sheep is a superficial arrangement

that is bound to explode at some point or another, as it has now

done in the ranks of Swapo.

 

Swapo can still be Swapo if people think and act for

themselves.

 

Unity, when it comes naturally, would be of far more value to

the Party and the country as a whole, if it is meaningful and not

simply posturing to impress the masses.

 

What could/should have been a straightforward, three-person contest

for the presidency, turned into an ugly witch-hunt, primarily due

to Nujoma's own opposition to one of the three candidates, and his

actions at the time of the extraordinary Swapo congress last

year.Among others, his summary removal of Hidipo Hamutenya as

Minister of Foreign Affairs, followed by other dismissals and/or

marginalisation of those perceived to be supporting Hamutenya.And

the feeling is generally that his successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba,

isn't happy about the legacy the President has left him; probably

quite justifiably so.There were attempts to heal the rift shortly

after the historic congress last year which elected Pohamba as

successor.Pohamba himself was at the forefront of these efforts;

and the unsuccessful candidates joined him on a public platform in

an attempt to show the country that all was well between them.This

didn't work, however, probably for the simple reason that everyone

knew the issue wasn't whether there was a rift between any or

either of the three or not, but simply because they knew the

President himself wasn't party to these efforts at reconciliation.I

doubt that we can expect Nujoma to be the initiator of

rapprochement, because he is usually simply inflexible when he

makes his mind up about someone or something.So, whether Pohamba

likes it or not, he's going to have to be the one to stand his

ground on his Cabinet choices and to ensure he is more inclusive

when he does so.Trade unionist Peter Naholo expresses himself quite

openly on the subject this week, saying that although both Nujoma

and Pohamba had this week called for unity, actions spoke louder

than words.He correctly pointed out that it was the Central

Committee of Swapo that put the names of the three presidential

candidates forward, and Congress delegates simply exercised their

freedom of choice.Now those who chose the candidate not to the

liking of the President have to pay the price! He went on to

outline the deep divisions in Party ranks as a result of the

witch-hunt, and emphasised that there was a need to openly confront

these issues.He did not mention, and in my view therefore saw

little prospect of, the incumbent initiating reconciliation; and so

his appeal went instead to the President-in-waiting to make this a

priority when he assumes office.(President Nujoma, unfortunately,

has always seen blind loyalty as the definition of 'unity', which,

in the real world, is not the case at all).And Naholo touched on

another related issue, which is one very close to my own heart,

namely that those who parade themselves as the most patriotic of

all Namibians, who sport the Party colours at any and every

opportunity, who surround the President as sycophantic 'yes-men'

are not necessarily the righteous beings they try to portray

themselves as.And it is true.It is surely time that everyone, more

particularly the Swapo rank and file, simply grow up and learn to

accept one another as human beings, who may differ on a very wide

variety of subjects, but this in itself does not make them

'disloyal' or 'unpatriotic' at all.Quite the contrary.In many cases

those who analyse, discuss, try to identify problems in order to

work on them, are often those who care the most.There is little or

no point in the people who make pretences at unity while they are

simultaneously (and figuratively) stabbing their political

opponents in the back.Unity at all costs is in any case a pointless

exercise.It only has meaning if people truly agree with one

another.But to use the call to unity to remind people that they

must act like a flock of unquestioning sheep is a superficial

arrangement that is bound to explode at some point or another, as

it has now done in the ranks of Swapo.Swapo can still be Swapo if

people think and act for themselves.Unity, when it comes naturally,

would be of far more value to the Party and the country as a whole,

if it is meaningful and not simply posturing to impress the masses.

---