A Closed Museum?

As an earnestly committed Namibian I thought to spend Africa Day learning something new about my country. My wife and I therefore drove to Okahandja to visit the Military Museum which we hoped would enlighten us on the means and methods available to the freedom fighters in their struggle. I would lie if I were to say that I was amazed to find it still not open to the public.

John Grobler in March 2008 reported Peter Shivute [the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence] as saying that this N$30 million institution would be opened to the public by the end of that year. He then already pointed out that, although our tax money has been used to build this edifice, we are not permitted to photograph it, the ‘statue’ in front of it, or even to walk around the outside.On our visit last Wednesday I was met at the guard house by a very friendly soldier who, understandably, could tell me nothing of the status of the building. With him was another ‘soldier’ sitting in the sun making a meal and who in a very aggressive, bombastic fashion made it quite clear that I am not allowed to ask any questions and should leave forthwith. This is to my mind the frequent attitude of our people when they are put in a position where they need to interact with the public without having been given any clear instructions.Shivute in 2008 quoted the Defence Act to make the point that it is prohibited to photograph any military premises. What ‘secrets’ are contained in and around this edifice and what changes when the museum is opened to the public, if ever?Will we ever see what our tax dollars have been spent on and, horror of horrors, will the ‘Freedom Museum’, that horrible aesthetic disaster on the hill next to the Christuskirche follow the same pattern?Philip M FordBy email