Rukoro’s Red Flag And Swapo
HAVING noted with sadness and great concern the nature of conversation and verbal exchange between Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joel Kapaanda, and First National Bank Managing Director, Vekuii Rukoro ,in local papers, allow me to mention the following.
If proven to be true, the language used by Rukoro is without a doubt aimed at destabilising our hard-won liberty and independence and/or attempting to achieve his end result by way of fear and threats.
Both these are methods that cannot guarantee positive results for anyone, more so Rukoro and Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) followers. The government has an undeniable, sacred duty to protect our civil liberties and achievements and cannot be held at ransom by misplaced indisciplined members or groupings. It is disappointing that a person of Rukoro’s standing would go to that extent.
The so called Red Flag day is gradually and of late becoming simply a platform, where, knowingly or unknowingly, a certain group of Namibians are being turned into a militarised unit, ready to respond on call to certain known individuals.
Just like Rukoro, I also want to know why our so called Swapo Think Tank, consultants/ghost writers/members alike have been quiet on this troubling issue while always ready to pounce on some Swapo leaders and cadres discrediting each other over simple, divisive non-issues. Or do we have to read into their silence the implication to mean their support and agreement with the statements and uttering at Red Flag proceedings? I noted Rukoro at both SPYL Congress as well as at the Swapo policy conference two weeks after his verbal onslaught. Some referred to him as being a Swapo member and former Attorney General. Clearly both these positions did not stop him from saying what he had to say regardless of the damage he caused. Are those not the very issues that Think Tank members and writers alike should debate and dissect? I still would want to know the basis of his invite to both SPYL and Swapo policy meetings.
Why should we allow our very systems and infrastructure to be used for such divisive occasions like the Red Flag and/or give credence to such elements by allowing them to grace our functions?
Moses Koseb
Windhoek