Nujoma Breaks The Rules

IT is a great pity that former President Sam Nujoma put aside the speech he had intended to deliver at the Swapo rally at Ongwediva on September 19, and instead chose to launch a vitriolic and inciteful attack on whites and foreigners.

His intended speech, published on the Swapo Party website, is far more considered and even though it bangs the drum for Swapo and extensively lists what he considers the achievements of the ruling party government over the years, is not offensive in nature.Nujoma’s words, among others calling for Englishmen in particular and whites in general to be beaten up if necessary, and attacked with hammers, are in fact actionable and not in keeping with his bestowed status as ‘Father of the Nation’.His words also clearly contravene Namibia’s electoral Code of Conduct for political parties (to which all registered political parties are signatory) as well as the Racial Discrimination Prohibition Act of 1991, and our revered Constitution.The Code of Conduct for political parties clearly states: ‘Speakers at political rallies may not use language which incites violence in any form against any other person or group of persons. Parties will not issue pamphlets, newsletters or posters which contain materials which incite people to violence’.Had we been a country in which democracy was cherished, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and/or the Director of Elections himself, would clearly have spoken out against such inciteful language, and may quite possibly have taken action against the party in question. Because this is not the case, there has been an ominous silence, which we must take to mean consent about the former President’s statement.The Director of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), Norman Tjombe, also reacted to the statement, which he said was tantamount to inciting racial disharmony, which is a criminal act in terms of the Racial Discrimination Prohibition Act.’The law provides that it is an offence to threaten, ridicule or insult any person or group of persons on the grounds that such person or groups of persons belong to a particular racial group’. ‘It is also a criminal offence to cause, encourage or incite disharmony of feelings of hostility, hatred or ill will between persons of different racial groups,’ he added.The Namibian Constitution, the LAC Director continued, made it clear that the practice of racial discrimination has no place in the constitutional dispensation of Namibia.It was especially dangerous to make such statements during election campaigns, when the ‘political temperature and emotions are generally running high’, he said.Tjombe advocated that Namibia should be working hard towards eradicating all violence. And while it had come a long way to ensuring that racism was rooted out, ‘there is still a huge task ahead to ensure that we are a tolerant and peaceful society’.There are those who justify the former President’s statements, but they should remember that Namibia cannot build a just and equitable society if statements containing hatred and prejudice become the order of the day.There are many foreigners who have actively supported the liberation of our country from colonial rule; there are also many countries right now which are assisting Namibia in terms of its development in both cash and kind, monies that are channelled bilaterally through the Swapo Government, with the approval of the ruling party.There are also hosts of tourists who visit Namibia, bringing the cash infusion that is so necessary for our future wellbeing and economic progress, and comments such as the former President’s recent statements will not engender goodwill from abroad or visits from those who may have to fear for their lives.There is still a huge groundswell of support for the former President, a man who headed the struggle for the liberation of Namibia. But most Namibians who care about our hard-won democracy will soon change their minds about him if he continues in this fashion.We would therefore join all likeminded people in condemning the racist and inflammatory statements that were made by the former President at a political rally, and would urge him to be more considered in his words in the future.