Speak Truth To Friends
NAMIBIA is a product of international solidarity. It’s easy to imagine that the much-vaunted liberation struggle that delivered the sovereignty of South West Africa to its citizens was the triumph of a small group of people or an organisation [Swapo to be more precise].
Yet Swapo and its pioneer leaders would be the first to admit that without the support of individuals, organisations and countries around the world, the Republic of Namibia would not have come about as it did or in the state that we all are so proud of.
How quickly memories fade though. Then, nations and individuals spoke out against injustices that were being committed against people of what became known in the latter colonial days as South West Africa/Namibia. So much solidarity was shown that the oppressors in the form of apartheid South Africa were put under pressure by their own allies in the Western world.
Sadly, Namibians, particularly yesteryear’s freedom fighters, are quiet in the face of their own friends desecrating the same ethos that an organisation like Swapo fought so hard to install in the country. An entrenched bill of rights, including respect for life [even the lives of murderers], an anti-nuclear-dumping stance and far-reaching democratic values in our Constitution seem to ring hollow.
How else does one explain the stony silence that our government and, to a less degree, civil society are exhibiting at the wanton disregard for democratic values in Zimbabwe? Among others, human rights lawyers such as Beatrice Mtetwa and High Court Judge Charles Hungwe are being harassed for merely doing their work of upholding democracy.
Our government is quick to call for the sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his cronies to be lifted, but they have no courage to be truthful to their friends about the destruction they cause in Zimbabwe. Small wonder Zimbabweans flee the country and end up being mistreated by their fellow Africans.
Similar silence is difficult to miss in the case of another of our ‘big friends’ in North Korea, which is threatening nuclear annihilation of its enemies. Whatever happened to our values and solidarity with others under draconian threat?
It is about time our leaders set their citizens the example by treating fellow Africans and farther afield friends with firmness when it comes to what we stand for.
In the absence of clear action, President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s ‘state-of-the-nation’ statement that “as a member of the international community, we are committed to the promotion of regional, continental and international peace and security” rings hollow.
Nation, What Nation?
PRESIDENT Pohamba rightly received accolades for a well-constructed ‘state-of-the-nation’ address to the Namibian parliament on Wednesday. The speech contained specifics that have often been missing from the presidential address over the years. Pity it took the ninth ‘state-of-the-nation’ address for Pohamba to put forward some measureable promises. Nevertheless, applause is in order.
It was difficult though, not to miss the fact that the President devoted a good 90 words in a document of more than 4 000 words to “nation-building”. After 23 years of independence, it appears we have not gotten out of the starting blocks in moulding a Namibian nation.
When The Namibian hosted its annual soccer competition over the Easter weekend, a football association official underlined the importance of the event by asking how many times Namibians from all nooks and crannies of the country gather as a nation. Not even national holidays serve that purpose. What, for instance, constitutes Namibianness? Do we have a national pastime?
The government’s nationhood and pride campaign has so far been an utter failure as the pomp and fanfare with which the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology launched it two years ago has fizzled out.
Dare we say, it would be difficult to achieve the development ideals that Pohamba so deftly outlined in the “state-of-the-nation” speech unless there is a common agenda, an agenda which must start with being a cohesive nation.