THE National Council (NC) wants a law to regulate the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) and certain media institutions, which they say are making themselves guilty of misconduct.
The House of Review yesterday joined the debate that has erupted since news of the NSHR’s submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) broke in the media. The NC decided to examine and review the human rights body’s place in the country, and to take further steps afterwards.The motion was introduced by Swapo Chief Whip Jhonny Hakaye, and was supported by the entire house, all clad in Swapo colours, yesterday.The NSHR’s submission calls for former President Sam Nujoma and three others to be held criminally liable for the disappearance of thousands of Namibians who died before and shortly after Independence.”This so-called human rights body has never recognised any positive development in this country.It has offered itself to be an open critic to all efforts made by the Namibian Government,” Hakaye said in motivating his motion.”When I came across the many writings of (NSHR Director Phil) Ya Nangoloh, mostly in the biweekly Windhoek Observer, I said to myself, this is too much uncalled for and unwarranted.””Don’t we have a law in this country to regulate these, both the human rights body, the Windhoek Observer, The Namibian and the likes?” he said.Hakaye took exception to Chapter 3, Article 17 of the Constitution, which states that “All citizens shall have the right to participate in peaceful political activity intended to influence the composition and policies of Government.All citizens shall have the right to form and join political parties …””I have a problem here that all citizens shall have the right, even an unsound mind can come up with a political party,” Hakaye said.He further said that a law was needed to regulate the formation of and the role that NGOs should play in society.”Therefore, comrade chairman, as you can see now there is an urgent need and necessity for the Parliament to promulgate a law to this effect as a matter of urgency, because a country such as ours that has emerged from the ashes of liberation wars, a country whose human rights record was tarnished for so long, cannot be left in the wrong hands or some political disgraces and disgruntled bodies such as Phil ya Nangoloh,” he said.After adopting the motion, the NC referred it to its Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security.The NC decided to examine and review the human rights body’s place in the country, and to take further steps afterwards.The motion was introduced by Swapo Chief Whip Jhonny Hakaye, and was supported by the entire house, all clad in Swapo colours, yesterday.The NSHR’s submission calls for former President Sam Nujoma and three others to be held criminally liable for the disappearance of thousands of Namibians who died before and shortly after Independence.”This so-called human rights body has never recognised any positive development in this country.It has offered itself to be an open critic to all efforts made by the Namibian Government,” Hakaye said in motivating his motion.”When I came across the many writings of (NSHR Director Phil) Ya Nangoloh, mostly in the biweekly Windhoek Observer, I said to myself, this is too much uncalled for and unwarranted.” “Don’t we have a law in this country to regulate these, both the human rights body, the Windhoek Observer, The Namibian and the likes?” he said.Hakaye took exception to Chapter 3, Article 17 of the Constitution, which states that “All citizens shall have the right to participate in peaceful political activity intended to influence the composition and policies of Government.All citizens shall have the right to form and join political parties …””I have a problem here that all citizens shall have the right, even an unsound mind can come up with a political party,” Hakaye said.He further said that a law was needed to regulate the formation of and the role that NGOs should play in society.”Therefore, comrade chairman, as you can see now there is an urgent need and necessity for the Parliament to promulgate a law to this effect as a matter of urgency, because a country such as ours that has emerged from the ashes of liberation wars, a country whose human rights record was tarnished for so long, cannot be left in the wrong hands or some political disgraces and disgruntled bodies such as Phil ya Nangoloh,” he said.After adopting the motion, the NC referred it to its Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security.
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