At Odds With Leadership

An Open Letter To Our LeadersLAST week saw a great occasion in London, the 46664 festival, in honour of the greatest statesman the world has delivered over the last hundred years; Nelson Mandela, a son of Africa.

Sadly though, this occasion was totally overshadowed by another news item from the African soil, namely the disgraceful happenings in Zimbabwe, where we observed, seemingly untouched, how a few million of our brothers and sisters are dumped into misery, because one man is regarded as being too holy to be put in his place. I am inclined to say: “Ag, forgive him, because he does not know what he is doing”.History will deal with him and the world will remember him as just another tragic figure, who fell victim to the devilish temptations of power and greed.Megalomania they call the disease.Sad.Pathetic.An Idi Amin kind of attention seeker.But the painful foot note will read: typically Africa! And we allow this to happen.Alas, we are in fact supporting the process, as if to say: Yes, this is Africa and we are proud of it.This is how we understand freedom.We fought for this and this is African democracy.And we say to the critical voices: Mind your own business.The leaders from the surrounding countries opted to strengthen the hand of Robert Mugabe, their comrade from the struggle, when he went off track.They are the ones who should be held accountable for the situation in Zimbabwe.In their capacities as mediators, as quiet diplomats, as SADC leaders, as AU leaders etc they knowingly sacrificed a whole country.What’s more, they know all the way that justice and history will one day deal with their fellow comrade, who will be held accountable for the fall of Zimbabwe.Is that how comradeship is understood? In the Western culture, the culture where I come from, friendship has the opposite meaning.I grew up in the humiliating system of apartheid.I despised its leaders for their falsehood: Bible in the one hand, while the other hand separated the people into first, second and third class citizens according to skin color.In hindsight however, I have to give them credit, that, at least, they did not lie to the world: They practised apartheid in the name of apartheid! Our present day leaders support human rights abuses and dictatorial systems all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy.As a Namibian citizen I, hereby wish to distance myself from the leadership of our country with regards to their stance about Zimbabwe.My respect for you as leaders has totally disappeared, because, like your fellow comrade in Zimbabwe, you seem to be driven by one force only – and that is power at all costs.But I have to admit, that I am very afraid of you, because the effects of your actions are unpredictable in the long term.And Mugabe has shown the world, that he is prepared to allow his brothers and sisters to be killed in order to expand his power and greed.Our current spineless African leadership is a disgrace to and makes a mockery of the sacrifices a Nelson Mandela and the likes had to endure on our continent.True heroes, who not only believed in the liberation of Africa but who also knew how to guide their nation towards true liberation.Reimer Thiessen Otjimbuku OkahandjaI am inclined to say: “Ag, forgive him, because he does not know what he is doing”.History will deal with him and the world will remember him as just another tragic figure, who fell victim to the devilish temptations of power and greed.Megalomania they call the disease.Sad.Pathetic.An Idi Amin kind of attention seeker.But the painful foot note will read: typically Africa! And we allow this to happen.Alas, we are in fact supporting the process, as if to say: Yes, this is Africa and we are proud of it.This is how we understand freedom.We fought for this and this is African democracy.And we say to the critical voices: Mind your own business.The leaders from the surrounding countries opted to strengthen the hand of Robert Mugabe, their comrade from the struggle, when he went off track.They are the ones who should be held accountable for the situation in Zimbabwe.In their capacities as mediators, as quiet diplomats, as SADC leaders, as AU leaders etc they knowingly sacrificed a whole country.What’s more, they know all the way that justice and history will one day deal with their fellow comrade, who will be held accountable for the fall of Zimbabwe.Is that how comradeship is understood? In the Western culture, the culture where I come from, friendship has the opposite meaning.I grew up in the humiliating system of apartheid.I despised its leaders for their falsehood: Bible in the one hand, while the other hand separated the people into first, second and third class citizens according to skin color.In hindsight however, I have to give them credit, that, at least, they did not lie to the world: They practised apartheid in the name of apartheid! Our present day leaders support human rights abuses and dictatorial systems all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy.As a Namibian citizen I, hereby wish to distance myself from the leadership of our country with regards to their stance about Zimbabwe.My respect for you as leaders has totally disappeared, because, like your fellow comrade in Zimbabwe, you seem to be driven by one force only – and that is power at all costs.But I have to admit, that I am very afraid of you, because the effects of your actions are unpredictable in the long term.And Mugabe has shown the world, that he is prepared to allow his brothers and sisters to be killed in order to expand his power and greed.Our current spineless African leadership is a disgrace to and makes a mockery of the sacrifices a Nelson Mandela and the likes had to endure on our continent.True heroes, who not only believed in the liberation of Africa but who also knew how to guide their nation towards true liberation.Reimer Thiessen Otjimbuku Okahandja