PRESIDENT Hage Geingob says political analyst Joseph Diescho will remain a refugee because he has refused to be patriotic and ran into hiding in an attempt to destroy the good image of Namibia.
Geingob said Diescho will continue to experience hardships while on the run as life in exile is not easy.
He made these remarks during a fully packed Swapo Party star rally at Oshakati on Sunday.
“You are all going to stay in this country. Namibia is all we have, and it’s our only country to call home. There was a political analyst here, he left, and where is he now? We do not know. You can run into exile, but you will always remain a refugee. You can have a million dollars in your account, but you cannot buy anything. You can have education, a PhD or so on, but if you are going to be a refugee, they will tell you, you are a refugee.
“Some of you went to tell the Canadians and British that you are being persecuted, but these people have embassies here. The Namibian politicians do not want to persecute anybody. You are not patriotic, going to tell a lie like that, and trying to destroy the country,” he continued.
He added that Swapo is the only party that can maintain peace, unity and development.
Geingob said Swapo is a people’s party that belongs to all Namibian tribal and indigenous groups.
“Swapo is a revolutionary party, for it waged a valiant revolutionary war to free this country. Anyone promoting tribalism is a pseudo-revolutionary. We have vowed to unite the people of Namibia, irrespective of race, religion, sex, or ethnic origin into a democratic, vibrant and peace-loving nation. Let us not forget that.
“We have vowed to combat retrogressive tendencies of tribalism, ethnicity, nepotism, racism, sexism, chauvinism, regionalism, and personality cults. Let us not forget that. This is the Swapo way, and there is no other way. If you believe in tribalism, then you do not believe in Swapo,” he stated.
As Swapo’s presidential candidate, he will also continue to consolidate peace, stability, unity and the rule of law, while pursuing all means to accelerate economic advancement.
Diescho, a self-exiled political analyst, left Namibia earlier this year to settle in Europe, claiming that he no longer feels safe in Namibia.
He had been granted political asylum in a European country, following allegations that he has been unable to make a living in his motherland as the government has blocked his efforts over the past three years.
Geingob also observed that “we will make sure that the Swapo-led government delivers on the promises made to those who have elected the party” and him to lead the country.
“Under the Swapo leadership, Namibia has earned a reputation as a nation characterised by peace and unity, and governed by the rule of law. We can never get tired of talking about peace and unity. We have taken a zero tolerance stance in the fight against corruption,” he added.
The president further noted that the Swapo-led government does not take the rights and freedoms of its people lightly, hence the formation of a joint crime-fighting operation between the army and police, aimed at ensuring that all Namibians feel safe and secure at all times.
“All Namibians have the right to life and dignity. We are intensifying our fight against crimes such as gender-based violence, disproportionately affecting women and children, and undermining the sanctity of life. As a demonstration of our commitment, we launched a joint crime-fighting operation between the army and police. This is a legal operation. We regret the incidents which resulted in the loss of life, when two people were shot,” said Geingob.
“Swapo is the only party that unites all races, ages, tribes, ethnicities and regions. Vote Swapo for peace, unity and development. Vote Swapo to stabilise the economy and continue Namibia’s economic growth and development. Vote Swapo to continue to defend Namibia’s sovereignty and security. Vote Swapo to continue to fight gender-based violence, corruption and other serious crimes,” he added.
Geingob is contesting the upcoming presidential elections against 10 other candidates, including one independent candidate, on 27 November.
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