Distinguish Between Politics and Culture

THIS letter is prompted by my brief experience of the annual cultural commemorations at Tsau, Botswana, in July.

Having noted a vast difference in the complexion of the event this year in comparison to those of the previous years since the inception of the commemoration four years ago, I deemed it prudent to share the following with my fellow tribes fold ahead of August 26 2006. For the past two years a lot of complaints have streamed into my office as a cultural activist and a participant in good number of issues of incidental nature generally.The Hereros and Mbanderus in Botswana have asked me to explain why at all cultural events when they are invited in Botswana, the Hereros and Mbanderus from Namibia always turn the platform into a battlefield to project their diverse domestic political inclination back home in Namibia, even to the extent of “officially” hurling disparaging words of at each other as though they are at a political rally.In a belated response, I have in my analysis of the events where I have been honoured to be a speaker in Namibia, from Okahandja all through to Ozombu Zovindimba, witnessed a culture among some of the Hereros and Mbanderus of Namibia resonant with a gloomy distinction between political issues and cultural issues.In that regard, I concurred with my fellow citizens on their concern, and, sadly so, though I expressed my personal misgivings in that regard, I of course found a very projection of intellectual immaturity assumed on an attitude of some superiority complex exhibited by my fellow Hereros and Mbanderus in Namibia.That instead of honouring the courtesy extended to them by their brothers, they down look at them as cultural novitiates agape for even the most irrelevant of menu.The sooner I realised that this concern had reached common and alarming proportions I gathered a good number of youth intellectuals to share their views.One of them asked me if I knew that when people come to Tsau or elsewhere for cultural events they come only for that.That for example we do not concern ourselves with which political party one of us supports or votes for.We therefore, consequent to this caucus called a few brethren from Namibia and expressed to them our distaste of their natural and detestable behaviour.We pointed out to them that we still look to them as our guide in many respects but we would not tolerate their confusing our innocent recognition of their brotherhood with submissive subordination.We told them that for instance we are not ready to hear at such public events their boring lectures on who the recognised chiefs in their country are, since those are just sovereign matters issuing out of some individual political constructs.We warned them against their entrenched appetite to talk about those subjects where they don’t matter as they have the potential of polarising our people along alien and irrelevant matters.Our efforts bore fruit the next day as Chief Alphons Maherero’s representatives paid credence to our admonishment and further assured the crowd that they would be bound to adopt the model of humility and calm in handling cultural issues as well as with regard to the rule of law back in Namibia.I can now admit failure in my hope that the “reparations” issue would bring more solidarity and harmony to my people.That instead my society is rapidly drifting apart at the hands of our natural detractors who are succeeding in seducing a clique of our natural blood citizen traitors hell-bent consciously on selling their birthright for a temporary morsel of tainted handouts.Can we reserve this calamity? We go to Okahandja this Saturday with our faces still thickly veiled because of the loss of our chief David Tuvahi Kambazembi.In homage to the Nguatjundu dynasty, I pray to the powers that be for wisdom that if it was not for the partisan political recipe that we now mistakenly adopt as our formula to determine our leaders as opposed to meritocracy and sober judgement, that family kraal is very replete with people of rich intellect and moral direction.I hope for a good successor.To all leaders then, political, spiritual, cultural and otherwise, I beseech everyone that it is incumbent upon each one individually that the paling complexion of our good society has only ourselves individually to arrest.A lot has been said about the need for unity and cultural redemption.Be that as it may, this urge is far from achievable if it is not harnessed through humble introspection and self-admission of social impropriety.Without these ingredients this sung-about unity will not be achieved through the airwaves or at rallies.In our bid for introspection let us examine the moral disintegration that our mixing of political issues with cultural issues has done to our society and the potential thereto if this continues.Let us know that the worth of our natural identity is thicker and more eternal than the baits that we selfishly earn in return to undermine that worth.Let’s learn a lot from Hereros and Mbanderus in Botswana in terms of their dispute resolution approach.Perhaps a warning to those acting as springboards and cushions to external forces of cultural debilitation, that even Judas Iscariot spent more time in regret and self-damnation than he did to enjoy the price for the Lord’s betrayal.Stephen Kazeire Raurau Hangara BotswanaFor the past two years a lot of complaints have streamed into my office as a cultural activist and a participant in good number of issues of incidental nature generally.The Hereros and Mbanderus in Botswana have asked me to explain why at all cultural events when they are invited in Botswana, the Hereros and Mbanderus from Namibia always turn the platform into a battlefield to project their diverse domestic political inclination back home in Namibia, even to the extent of “officially” hurling disparaging words of at each other as though they are at a political rally.In a belated response, I have in my analysis of the events where I have been honoured to be a speaker in Namibia, from Okahandja all through to Ozombu Zovindimba, witnessed a culture among some of the Hereros and Mbanderus of Namibia resonant with a gloomy distinction between political issues and cultural issues.In that regard, I concurred with my fellow citizens on their concern, and, sadly so, though I expressed my personal misgivings in that regard, I of course found a very projection of intellectual immaturity assumed on an attitude of some superiority complex exhibited by my fellow Hereros and Mbanderus in Namibia.That instead of honouring the courtesy extended to them by their brothers, they down look at them as cultural novitiates agape for even the most irrelevant of menu.The sooner I realised that this concern had reached common and alarming proportions I gathered a good number of youth intellectuals to share their views.One of them asked me if I knew that when people come to Tsau or elsewhere for cultural events they come only for that.That for example we do not concern ourselves with which political party one of us supports or votes for.We therefore, consequent to this caucus called a few brethren from Namibia and expressed to them our distaste of their natural and detestable behaviour.We pointed out to them that we still look to them as our guide in many respects but we would not tolerate their confusing our innocent recognition of their brotherhood with submissive subordination.We told them that for instance we are not ready to hear at such public events their boring lectures on who the recognised chiefs in their country are, since those are just sovereign matters issuing out of some individual political constructs.We warned them against their entrenched appetite to talk about those subjects where they don’t matter as they have the potential of polarising our people along alien and irrelevant matters.Our efforts bore fruit the next day as Chief Alphons Maherero’s representatives paid credence to our admonishment and further assured the crowd that they would be bound to adopt the model of humility and calm in handling cultural issues as well as with regard to the rule of law
back in Namibia.I can now admit failure in my hope that the “reparations” issue would bring more solidarity and harmony to my people.That instead my society is rapidly drifting apart at the hands of our natural detractors who are succeeding in seducing a clique of our natural blood citizen traitors hell-bent consciously on selling their birthright for a temporary morsel of tainted handouts.Can we reserve this calamity? We go to Okahandja this Saturday with our faces still thickly veiled because of the loss of our chief David Tuvahi Kambazembi.In homage to the Nguatjundu dynasty, I pray to the powers that be for wisdom that if it was not for the partisan political recipe that we now mistakenly adopt as our formula to determine our leaders as opposed to meritocracy and sober judgement, that family kraal is very replete with people of rich intellect and moral direction.I hope for a good successor.To all leaders then, political, spiritual, cultural and otherwise, I beseech everyone that it is incumbent upon each one individually that the paling complexion of our good society has only ourselves individually to arrest.A lot has been said about the need for unity and cultural redemption.Be that as it may, this urge is far from achievable if it is not harnessed through humble introspection and self-admission of social impropriety.Without these ingredients this sung-about unity will not be achieved through the airwaves or at rallies.In our bid for introspection let us examine the moral disintegration that our mixing of political issues with cultural issues has done to our society and the potential thereto if this continues.Let us know that the worth of our natural identity is thicker and more eternal than the baits that we selfishly earn in return to undermine that worth.Let’s learn a lot from Hereros and Mbanderus in Botswana in terms of their dispute resolution approach.Perhaps a warning to those acting as springboards and cushions to external forces of cultural debilitation, that even Judas Iscariot spent more time in regret and self-damnation than he did to enjoy the price for the Lord’s betrayal.Stephen Kazeire Raurau Hangara Botswana