Itula Sets a Political Cat Among the Pigeons

It is clear some media houses have joined a one-sided political debate for unknown reasons.

The Namibian’s front-page report on 5 July, titled ‘Constitution Written by Western Countries – Itula’, reads like an opinion piece.

It contains the selected views of a ‘political analyst’ who tries to paint a picture of Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula as ‘misleading’ the public, looking for votes.

It is decampaigning, making him look illegitimate in voters’ eyes.

Then the very same publication has the courage to declare in its own editorial: ‘IPC is Wrong About Rights’.

The editorial quotes from another media outlet’s audio clip of an interview with Itula to justify an ‘attack’ on the Independent Patriots for Change and Itula.

The IPC’s position is clear: Let Namibia hold a referendum on the same-sex marriage debate to move on.

The current issue is a constitutional matter that must be handled carefully, because it is sensitive.

We must never try to encourage the public to confront each other.

Three bills have recently been tabled by senior Swapo members of parliament and ministers.

Some elite quarters of this country are deliberately distracting the public’s attention.

The Namibian media should be extremely careful – this country has an angry and tired young generation because of social challenges.
This week, there was a fake letter circulating that makes allegations about the IPC, and it clearly echoed what various media outlets have been reporting.

It involved dirty tricks, manipulation and lies about the IPC. That letter as well as the IPC’s statement on it has been ignored for political convenience.

Namibians should reject all attempts to instigate public outrage.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia should take its code of conduct for political parties seriously.

The media ombudsman must be proactive in his conduct.

Our debate seems to be getting stuck because the Swapo-led government has not been forthcoming on the Hansard of the Constituent Assembly of 1989.

Nico Horn, in an article titled ‘The Forerunners of the Namibian Constitution’, wrote that the United Nations Security Council accepted Resolution 435 in 1978 as a basis for Namibia’s independence.

He also writes that constitutional principles were drafted by the Western Contact Group (WCG) in 1981.

Also in 1981, the UN sponsored a pre-implementation conference in Geneva, where a South African delegation, including 30 Namibian leaders from internal parties, met Sam Nujoma and a Swapo delegation.

The conference was aimed at getting the negotiations for Namibian’s independence back on track, Horn writes.
Let’s debate maturely. The rule of law must be our founding principle.

Shitefa Sha Mvula

– Editorial note: Namibia’s widely praised Constitution resulted from negotiations between different political parties, following the country’s first free and fair elections in November 1989. The seven political parties voted for in the election sent representatives to a 72-member Constituent Assembly charged with the historic task of drafting the Constitution. It was unanimously accepted by every member of the assembly and came into force on the day Namibia became independent.