IT IS no exaggeration to state that at present, our democracy is under threat.
Not from without, but from within. The furore surrounding the submission by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has culminated in actions and reactions that are not befitting a democratic nation.What is perhaps of most concern is not necessarily those speaking somewhat irresponsibly at times, either for or against the NSHR submission, but the stance of our own President Hifikepunye Pohamba.The President should be above the fray, rather than fuelling the situation in defence of his predecessor, Sam Nujoma.It is not in keeping with his status as Head of State.The President may well have been ’embarrassed’ as he claimed, by the questions on the part of fellow SADC heads of state about the NSHR submission against Nujoma, but his response to critics to ‘pack up and go’ does not reflect well upon his high office.We are honestly surprised at such statements emanating from a man who is usually conciliatory by nature.Adding insult to injury is the fact that State House appears to be orchestrating the vitriol against Phil ya Nangoloh and the NSHR on the part of Swapo branches and sections.It was significant to note that a recent petition by the Swapo Omusati branch handed to Governor Kayone was faxed to the petitioners from State House the day before the demonstration took place! We honestly ask the question whether it is incumbent on our Head of State, who is not the President of Swapo, to do the work of the ruling party sections, and whether this in fact is not an abuse of President Pohamba’s office.At times like these, when emotions are running high, we would expect to look to the President for some statesmanlike guidance to the nation, rather than him actively taking one side against the other as he has done.We can surely rightly expect the President to be the foremost authority on democracy and our Constitution and to point out to those in his Party calling for Ya Nangoloh’s head upon the stake (in figurative terms at present, we hasten to add!) that it is not treasonous to do what he has done in his submission to the ICC and that whether one agrees with him and the NSHR or not, it is also not an undemocratic act.Seventeen years after Independence we would expect a better general knowledge about our democratic Constitution, and what it means.Yet regrettably it appears as though those Namibians who are marching in protest against Ya Nangoloh, and calling for laws and other restrictions against the non-governmental organisations and the media, are being used by the ruling Party simply to beat the drum for the former President and Father of the Nation.The demand for Ya Nangoloh to withdraw his submission from the ICC, or face charges of high treason, is absurd beyond belief.High treason is clearly defined as an attempt to overthrow a legitimate government, and this is not even remotely what Ya Nangoloh has done.To make such an accusation is not within the bounds of reason, and our President (in the absence of Swapo leadership, who are unlikely to do so!) is surely duty bound to point this out, rather than to incite conflagration by giving impressionable Swapo loyalists the indication that it is in fact the case.The NSHR ICC submission is not about our Head of State, not even about our Government or our country.It concerns our history and the man who spearheaded the struggle for our independence, during which wrongdoings were committed.He is being called to account on behalf of those people who suffered loss because of these historical acts.Quite apart from the NSHR submission, we continue to believe that it will be easier for parts of our nation to forgive and forget if they are told the story of what led to Lubango.It is an issue that the Father of the Nation continues to cast aside, citing national reconciliation as the reason.This does not exonerate or ignore the evils perpetrated on our people by the apartheid regime.We had the chance for redress; attempts were even made to extradite certain offenders to Namibia to stand trial, but our own Government was lukewarm in its efforts to do so.We should bury the past at some point.We need to do this in order to move forward.But it’s going to destroy us unless we can face our demons head-on by simply acknowledging the truth.We would urge President Pohamba to pursue this path rather than help to put our democracy in danger.The furore surrounding the submission by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has culminated in actions and reactions that are not befitting a democratic nation.What is perhaps of most concern is not necessarily those speaking somewhat irresponsibly at times, either for or against the NSHR submission, but the stance of our own President Hifikepunye Pohamba.The President should be above the fray, rather than fuelling the situation in defence of his predecessor, Sam Nujoma.It is not in keeping with his status as Head of State.The President may well have been ’embarrassed’ as he claimed, by the questions on the part of fellow SADC heads of state about the NSHR submission against Nujoma, but his response to critics to ‘pack up and go’ does not reflect well upon his high office.We are honestly surprised at such statements emanating from a man who is usually conciliatory by nature.Adding insult to injury is the fact that State House appears to be orchestrating the vitriol against Phil ya Nangoloh and the NSHR on the part of Swapo branches and sections.It was significant to note that a recent petition by the Swapo Omusati branch handed to Governor Kayone was faxed to the petitioners from State House the day before the demonstration took place! We honestly ask the question whether it is incumbent on our Head of State, who is not the President of Swapo, to do the work of the ruling party sections, and whether this in fact is not an abuse of President Pohamba’s office.At times like these, when emotions are running high, we would expect to look to the President for some statesmanlike guidance to the nation, rather than him actively taking one side against the other as he has done.We can surely rightly expect the President to be the foremost authority on democracy and our Constitution and to point out to those in his Party calling for Ya Nangoloh’s head upon the stake (in figurative terms at present, we hasten to add!) that it is not treasonous to do what he has done in his submission to the ICC and that whether one agrees with him and the NSHR or not, it is also not an undemocratic act.Seventeen years after Independence we would expect a better general knowledge about our democratic Constitution, and what it means.Yet regrettably it appears as though those Namibians who are marching in protest against Ya Nangoloh, and calling for laws and other restrictions against the non-governmental organisations and the media, are being used by the ruling Party simply to beat the drum for the former President and Father of the Nation.The demand for Ya Nangoloh to withdraw his submission from the ICC, or face charges of high treason, is absurd beyond belief.High treason is clearly defined as an attempt to overthrow a legitimate government, and this is not even remotely what Ya Nangoloh has done.To make such an accusation is not within the bounds of reason, and our President (in the absence of Swapo leadership, who are unlikely to do so!) is surely duty bound to point this out, rather than to incite conflagration by giving impressionable Swapo loyalists the indication that it is in fact the case.The NSHR ICC submission is not about our Head of State, not even about our Government or our country.It concerns our history and the man who spearheaded the struggle for our independence, during which wrongdoings were committed.He is being called to account on behalf of those people who suffered loss because of these historical acts.Quite apart from the NSHR submission, we continue to believe that it will be easier for parts of our nation to forgive and forget if they are told the story of what led to Lubango.It is an issue that the Father of the Nation continues to cast aside, citing national reconciliation as the reason.This does not exonerate or ignore the evils perpetrated on our people by the apartheid regime.We had the chance for redress; attempts were even made to extradite certain offenders to Namibia to stand trial, but our own Government was lukewarm in its efforts to do so.We should bury the past at some point.We need to do this in order to move forward.But it’s going to destroy us unless we can face our demons head-on by simply acknowledging the truth.We would urge President Pohamba to pursue this path rather than help to put our democracy in danger.
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