Gwen Lister Is Wrong About Dr Sam Nujoma

I WISH to share my opinion on the Political Perspective column by Gwen Lister in The Namibian newspaper of 29 May 2009. Lister says ‘there’s always something rather sad about people who cannot let go of the past. Former President Sam Nujoma is an example…’

I should make it categorically clear that I am not defending Dr Sam Nujoma since there are people tasked and paid with taxpayers’ money to do so in his capacity as Founding President. I happen to agree with Dr Nujoma in some cases considering that he is not a saint but a man trying to build a nation at an age of 80 years. Lister’s column about leaving the past behind is very condescending in our opinion especially when her forefathers benefited at the expense of ours. Let us say things that will build the nation. Why doesn’t Lister use her newspaper to appeal to her fellow whites with excessive land to give back to the blacks; why doesn’t Lister speak out against those whites in private sector to let go of the past and start treating every one as equals?Dr Nujoma in my opinion is not talking about the past; he is talking about the present and the future. Imperialists exist today, we know them and can see what they are doing, I may not agree with Dr Sam Nujoma when he says, according to Lister, ‘put bullets through the heads’ ‘Put bullets through the heads’ in my opinion is a simple way to say let’s defend ourselves against such elements. Dr Nujoma is not saying let’s attack all peaceful and progressive friends from other countries but those with bad intentions – and we should. Telling kids to be ready to take up guns against imperialists as Lister puts it, does not mean take real guns and shoot; the kids don’t even know how to shoot. It means fight these elements which can be done in many ways like defeating them intellectually.I agree with Lister when she says Dr Nujoma should fight evils like corruption at home but as far as I know he is doing that already.Fellow Namibians, especially the youth, let’s build this nation. Let not those who use their newspapers and organisations to advance agendas only known to themselves not mislead you.I repeat that Dr Nujoma is not a saint – but I recently paid a visit to this 80-year-old man (59 older than me) and I observed how he loves a great future for the youth and our nation. The past is the past but it hampers the present and the future. Let’s have white youth coming out to publicly condemn what is happening in the private sector and appeal to those whites with excessive land to give to other previously disadvantaged Namibians. One Namibia, one people, One Nation!!Nicky MutendaVia e-mail