Swapo Must Shutdown Tribalism
SWAPO opened the floodgates but can still close them down before it is too late. We can only hope that the ruling party’s leaders are worried enough to recognise the mistakes which have led to increased ethnic differences at the expense of Namibianess.
The absurdity of entertaining calls for a so-called ‘non-Oshiwambo’ leader in Swapo took the cancerous phenomenon to disturbing levels, because we maintain that if at the pinnacle of national leadership people are concerned with the tribal origin of the head of state then the underlying reasons, such as equal opportunities for prosperity of all citizens, need addressing.
That Swapo continues to ‘recognise’ some ethnic leaders at the expense of others and shower them with government resources boggles the mind because as a liberation movement it fought against state the conflation of tribal leadership with the state and abhored the “collaboration” with the apartheid government calling it a divide and rule tactic. Now Swapo is comfortably doing the same as if the results will be different simply because it was the colonisers dividing our people.
Sadly, ‘ethnic entrepreneurs’, as Minister of Defence Nahas Angula calls people who use ethnic and language differences to profiteer from state largese, have exploited what they saw as the easiest and fastest way to access state resources is to be identified with tribe.
The proposal for the creation of a new region that caters for what many see as Ondonga areas is only the latest in the proliferation of tribe-driven calls for “bring development and government services closer to the people”.
But let us first put matters in perspective: criticism against Oshana Governor Clemens Kashuupulwa and his allies for causing Ondangwa has merit. Ondangwa may not technically be a ghost town but the once bustling and biggest town north of the Red Line has been stripped of its attractiveness all regional government offices moved, to what is rightly or wrongly seen as, closer to dominant councillor’s villages – Oshakati in this case.
Examples abound: Tsumeb is gasping for breath as Omuthiya is pushed to become the Oshikoto capital though even a massive new hospital is inoperational and employees commute from afar. Khorixas in Kunene now looks like the deserted market described in novels of the first generation of African writers such as Chinua Achebe and Francis Selormey.
Forcefully engineered ‘development’ is taking place rather than building onto the natural attraction of a place. Kashuupulwa, for instance, admits as much about Ondangwa being ‘strategically located’ and a best town for investors. Then why strip Khorixas, Ondangwa or Tsumeb of their anchors?
Such mindless decisions provide cannon fodder for more division, especially ‘ethnic entrepreneurs’ because only when they have control of resources close to them can they profiteer.
For everybody knows that creating more constituencies, regions and recognising more tribal leaders does not mean the country will have more money to invest in schools, clinics and hospitals, roads, railway, toilets or even the short term emergency relief like drought aid. Instead what little money the country generates will pay for a new governor, a new councillor and their assistance, and their offices, and vehicles and subsistence and travelling allowances [S&Ts] and, and, and...
Swapo must realise it has been fueling tribalism and moving the masses away from the ideals of ‘one Namibia, one Nation’. It must change course if the party’s principles are to be saved from ethnic entrepreneurs and other rent-seekers.
The alternative is to let Namibia slide into the abyss that has devoured many African countries to such an extent that different ethnic groups slaughter each other because they are convinced only people from their villages can rule in their best interest instead of the interests of all citizens.
Uphold Free Speech
Today, World Press Freedom Day, we salute all Namibians for upholding one of the most important pillars of a peaceful society and a prerequisite for development - freedom of speech. Without the right to express one’s views freely within the bounds of a civilised society, a nation can descend into dictatorship and other anti-democratic tendencies that have ruined many countries.
Together with many peace-loving Namibians we call on fellow journalists to renew their commitment to uphold freedom of speech, of which freedom of the news media is one important facet. Namibians must be proud of the fact that World Press Freedom Day was derived from the Windhoek Declaration of 1993.