THE political feud between the ruling Swapo Party and the Rally for Democracy and Progress, coupled with growing intolerance of the opposition, and Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential election stood head and shoulders above the rest of the top news items of 2008 in a snap survey conducted by The Namibian.
Most people felt that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe once again dominated African news headlines.
‘It was indeed difficult to recall a top Namibian newsmaker and news item, as I think that we had fairly a boring year. Nothing much of a positive character happened, but we had all the negative news stories, such as the political intolerance and violence in Tobias Hainyeko constituency, Omuthiya and Okahao,’ human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe said.
He lamented that President Hifikepunye Pohamba ‘condoned the violence’ by not speaking out against it. ‘It is telling that so far, no one got arrested for the violence in Okahao, although the Police did not waste any time to arrest those who peacefully campaigned against voting in Tobias Hainyeko,’ Tjombe said.
He was referring to the Okahao incident where Swapo supporters attacked RDP members and even the Police.
* NFA CEO Barry Rukoro:
Namibia: Feud between Swapo and the RDP.
Namibian newsmaker: Swapo Youth League.
Top African news story: Zimbabwe.
African newsmaker: ANC President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Top world news story: US elections.
World’s newsmaker: Barack Obama.
* Rights lawyer Norman Tjombe:
Namibia: The unprecedented political intolerance and violence that surfaced in the course of the year can certainly qualify for the top news item of the year.
Namibian newsmaker: President Pohamba, for not doing the right things to stop the political violence and instil respect for political diversity.
Top African news story: The disastrous elections of Zimbabwe.
African newsmaker: For all the wrong reasons, the African newsmaker must be the demented Robert Mugabe – for continuing to destroy a beautiful country, for denying millions of Zimbabweans their chosen leaders, for killing many innocent people with cholera by mismanaging the water resources and everything else in Zimbabwe.
Top world news story: Barack Obama’s campaign and victory in the elections for the US Presidency.
World’s newsmaker: Barack Obama
* Executive Editor of DMH Chris Jacobie:
Namibian news item: The Efundja [seasonal flood] because of the effect it had on the Namibian population and the way national interest was demonstrated afterwards.
Namibian newsmaker: The war orphans (also known as struggle children). They went unnoticed in society until their demonstration forced the recognition of this tragic phenomenon.
Top African news story: The sacking of Thabo Mbeki as SA president.
African newsmaker: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
Top world news story: American elections
Top world newsmaker: Barack Obama
* SPYL Secretary Elijah Ngurare:
Namibian news item: It is difficult to single out one particular item to constitute a news item of the year. In my view this has been a year full of sad news. Our country has lost many illustrious citizens this year. I regard the untimely death of the late comrade John Pandeni, in a tragic car accident, as the Namibian news item of the year. May all their souls rest in eternal peace.
Namibian newsmaker : I regard the successive victories of the Swapo Party in Rundu rural west by-election, Eenhana by-election, Omuthiya local authority election and Tobias Hainyeko by-election as Namibian newsmaker of the year. This has demonstrated beyond any doubt that the Swapo Party shall continue, for centuries, to remain the newsmaker.
Top African news story: The unprecedented recall of President Thabo Mbeki as President of the Republic of South Africa.
African newsmaker: His Excellency comrade RG Mugabe for being an African icon who is capable, in the current world disorder, to champion the ideals of the African revolution against the imperialist onslaught led by England and its kith and kin throughout the world especially the United States of America.
Top world news story: The US presidential elections.
World’s newsmaker: The election of Mr Barack Hussein Obama as America’s first President of African descent.
* RDP President Hidipo Hamutenya:
Namibia: Growing political intolerance in Namibia.
Namibian newsmaker: The development of the RDP as the challenge to a two-decade-long dominance of Swapo.
Top African news story: The ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe.
African newsmaker: Robert Mugabe’s refusal to accept defeat in the Zimbabwean national elections.
Top world news story: The world economic crisis that hit the mortgage and financial sectors in the United States.
Top world news story: President-elect Barack Obama, and the very impressive and historical campaign that he mounted.
* Human rights activist Phil ya Nangoloh:
Namibian news item: Rivalry between Swapo Party and RDP.
Namibian newsmaker: RDP.
Top African news story: Zimbabwean crisis and SA xenophobic attacks.
African newsmaker: Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai.
Top world news story: American election.
World’s newsmaker: Barack Hussein Obama.
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