Treating Namnesia
CURRENT shenanigans of desperate elements parading as Swapo cadres compel me to write this piece to enter into conversation with, speak out against and urge my fellow citizens not to succumb to the propagation of thoughtless buffoonery in a naked attempt at advancement of self or sectoral interest that is inimical to both the best interest of SWAPO Party and vital national interest of Namibia.
The antagonistic contestation relating to the upcoming November Swapo congress is one such event of national importance given Swapo’s status as the party that represents the interests of the majority of the people of Namibia. The outcome of the contest of candidates vying for position of vice president and other Swapo leadership positions has practical implications on the lives of all citizens.
The recent concerted campaign by some elements regrettably foisting Hage Geingob in opposition with the Founding Father of the Namibian Nation, Sam Nujoma, on the basis of academic observations contained in the doctoral thesis Geingob completed in 2004 is one such demeaning episode.
The relevant aspect of the doctoral thesis constitutes Geingob’s personal account of presidential actions of the time and concerns his expression of displeasure at the conduct of sycophants interested in their own survival whose sycophantic actions were compared to experiences in Zaire under President Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko, and in Malawi under President Kamuzu Banda. The sycophants incorrectly pounced on these legitimate academic observations to unfairly conclude that the founding President has been equated to Mobutu and Banda.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Geingob specifically remarked in his dissertation that Namibia has not reached that level of “presidentialism” on account of Swapo’s consistent practice of collective leadership principles.
Moreover, Geingob is also on record as having said that Namibia’s credentials as a modern democracy were reinforced by the December 2004 elections and the smooth transfer of power by Nujoma.
Geingob further paid tribute to Nujoma in his said doctoral thesis for the role Nujoma had played in spearheading diplomatic, political and armed struggle and hence correctly characterised him as being amongst the leading luminaries in Africa together with other stated first leaders of independent countries in Africa.
There is therefore no contradiction in relations between Nujoma and Geingob consequent to the said academic observations in the doctoral thesis, which constitutes a vital scholarly contribution about the process of State formation in Namibia.
The scholarly work is pleasant to read and sets out in lucid detail transpirations of the Constituent Assembly that gave birth to our Constitution and Nationhood.
Geingob has no need to satisfy vanity of professional blackmailers and sycophants that are desperately seeking to drive a wedge in excellent relations existing between Nujoma and Geingob in order to unfairly advance electoral fortunes of candidates of their choice at the upcoming Swapo congress.
Lucius Murorua
(attorney)
Windhoek