Political perspective

THE Swapo Party Youth League should really attempt to take their politics to a higher level.It would benefit everyone, including the SPYL itself, which already has the reputation of acting in a ballistic manner and hurling abuse left, right and centre.

Politics can be dirty, we all know that, but there’s no reason why it should be allowed to descend to an all-time low. With a measure of self-discipline and restraint and careful choice of words, we can avoid personal attacks of the kind they tend to unleash, for they are not in keeping with our Constitution.PEOPLE, including the SPYL, are entitled to viewpoints, even vehemently critical ones.But they are not permitted to defame and libel others simply because they may disagree with their opinions.Whether the SPYL likes it or not, there are two points of view on the Founding Father title which has officially been bestowed on former Namibian President Sam Nujoma.There are those for, and those against.And there is nothing wrong with holding either of these opinions.Some, including myself, felt the title was excessive under the circumstances, and if one had to be bestowed (in addition to the many other honours Nujoma has received over the years) then ‘Founding President’ would have done just as well.To take this stance is not to “discredit and tarnish the image of the Swapo Party President” as the Youth League claims.In fact, most people who’ve opposed the title have bent over backwards to emphasise the former President’s immense contribution to our Independence – they simply don’t feel honours of this kind are necessary.The SPYL, on the other hand, is in favour of this and other titles for the Swapo president.They’ve even said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.This, again, is a view they’re entitled to, but we don’t all have to agree with them.We’ve been measured in our criticisms and not insulting and to be accused of “waging a racist and neo-colonialist campaign against our Great Leader of the Namibian Revolution” and “fanning the flames of anti-Nujoma vitriolic tirades” and “insulting and demonising him” is neither fair nor justified.The tragedy of the April 1 1989 incursion, which resulted in the deaths of a few hundred Swapo combatants, is an historic event that will be interpreted from different perspectives, and Swapo, the UN and adherents of the South African regime will not see eye-to-eye on why or how this happened.The views may differ, but need not be accompanied by malice.Lauding killers or those who put them to work is not in my nature, and so, like Swapo, I condemn Hans Dreyer of Koevoet notoriety for the cruelties and atrocities he heaped upon the Namibian people.But there are those, especially Namibians who lost family and friends in the Swapo dungeons, who will also disagree with the post-independence commendations handed out to the likes of Solomon ‘Jesus’ Awala, whose role in this sad saga has not been disputed! Neither are those described by the SPYL as “Eurocentric white editors” bent upon “waging yet another covert campaign to unseat the current Swapo Party President”, necessarily trying to do so.Perhaps they are simply trying to ensure that the incumbent President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, is provided with the wherewithal to be the head of state that he now is.What the SPYL calls “cancerous, racist and parasitic media operators” in this country, are not the problem, and the Youth League, which knows the Swapo constitution off-by-heart and quotes from it liberally, should know that it is superseded by the Constitution of Namibia, which guarantees our rights and freedoms, and which is one of the biggest single achievements of Independence.So their calls to Government to legislate against the press are not in keeping with the ideals the people of this country fought for.So too must their ‘war talk’ come to an end.They are youths, a number of whom did not sacrifice personally in the struggle and so perhaps don’t know quite how horrific wars are.They must desist from statements like “We will fight against anyone who stands in our way”, which do not take this country forward.The colonial era is gone, never to return and our Independence is not in danger, whatever the SPYL says to the contrary.We simply need to consolidate our democracy and the SPYL should be in the forefront of doing this rather than dragging our divided past into the present.With a measure of self-discipline and restraint and careful choice of words, we can avoid personal attacks of the kind they tend to unleash, for they are not in keeping with our Constitution.PEOPLE, including the SPYL, are entitled to viewpoints, even vehemently critical ones.But they are not permitted to defame and libel others simply because they may disagree with their opinions.Whether the SPYL likes it or not, there are two points of view on the Founding Father title which has officially been bestowed on former Namibian President Sam Nujoma.There are those for, and those against.And there is nothing wrong with holding either of these opinions.Some, including myself, felt the title was excessive under the circumstances, and if one had to be bestowed (in addition to the many other honours Nujoma has received over the years) then ‘Founding President’ would have done just as well.To take this stance is not to “discredit and tarnish the image of the Swapo Party President” as the Youth League claims.In fact, most people who’ve opposed the title have bent over backwards to emphasise the former President’s immense contribution to our Independence – they simply don’t feel honours of this kind are necessary.The SPYL, on the other hand, is in favour of this and other titles for the Swapo president.They’ve even said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.This, again, is a view they’re entitled to, but we don’t all have to agree with them.We’ve been measured in our criticisms and not insulting and to be accused of “waging a racist and neo-colonialist campaign against our Great Leader of the Namibian Revolution” and “fanning the flames of anti-Nujoma vitriolic tirades” and “insulting and demonising him” is neither fair nor justified.The tragedy of the April 1 1989 incursion, which resulted in the deaths of a few hundred Swapo combatants, is an historic event that will be interpreted from different perspectives, and Swapo, the UN and adherents of the South African regime will not see eye-to-eye on why or how this happened.The views may differ, but need not be accompanied by malice.Lauding killers or those who put them to work is not in my nature, and so, like Swapo, I condemn Hans Dreyer of Koevoet notoriety for the cruelties and atrocities he heaped upon the Namibian people.But there are those, especially Namibians who lost family and friends in the Swapo dungeons, who will also disagree with the post-independence commendations handed out to the likes of Solomon ‘Jesus’ Awala, whose role in this sad saga has not been disputed! Neither are those described by the SPYL as “Eurocentric white editors” bent upon “waging yet another covert campaign to unseat the current Swapo Party President”, necessarily trying to do so.Perhaps they are simply trying to ensure that the incumbent President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, is provided with the wherewithal to be the head of state that he now is.What the SPYL calls “cancerous, racist and parasitic media operators” in this country, are not the problem, and the Youth League, which knows the Swapo constitution off-by-heart and quotes from it liberally, should know that it is superseded by the Constitution of Namibia, which guarantees our rights and freedoms, and which is one of the biggest single achievements of Independence.So their calls to Government to legislate against the press are not in keeping with the ideals the people of this country fought for.So too must their ‘war talk’ come to an end.They are youths, a number of whom did not sacrifice personally in the struggle and so perhaps don’t know quite how horrific wars are.They must desist from statements like “We will fight against anyone who stands in our way”, which do not take this country forward.The colonial era is gone, never to return and our Independence is not in danger, whatever the SPYL says to the contrary.We simply need to consolidate our democracy and the SPYL should be in the forefront of doing this rather than dragging our divided past into the present.