Time To Let Go Of All Racism

THIS is a reaction to the letter titled ‘Opposed to neo-liberals’ published on October 24 2006 in The Namibian.

It must be noted that I do not want to take issue with the author but rather with the content of the letter. I have been living in South Africa for the past 10 months and was amazed by the relationships that exist between whites and blacks, especially learners in schools and University students.Their relationships are excellent and from this status quo one can only infer that the oppression and apartheid we faced in the past was not necessarily an issue of being white per se but rather (unfortunately for them) embedded in the system they found themselves in at that particular time.At Independence in 1990 whites had been given other lenses through which to look at the world, what we should do (the black folks) is to provide help and support to them by embracing (accepting) whites.The issue of employing unqualified people at the expense of the qualified ones should not be tied to a race but addressed on its own merit.It will do our economy and country good if we refrain from employing people simply because they are comrades.Qualifications and job experience must match the job requirements and comrades (including myself) must only be employed if we meet the set criteria.Let us spare our children (blacks and whites) the experience we went through, in fact not obscuring the history, but giving them a chance to live and construct life the way they perceive it in the new era.I strongly feel that as Namibians we should not be negative and critical on the merits of employment of certain citizens on the basis of the racial group they belong to.All people, black and white, can contribute significantly to the growth of our country in many ways, hence let us give each citizen a chance to contribute and feel proud to be a Namibian.Namibia is a wonderful country blessed with many wondrous things which myself and many people all over the world admire, hence let us uphold honesty, integrity and unity in diversity.Uerivangera Tjivikua Eastern CapeI have been living in South Africa for the past 10 months and was amazed by the relationships that exist between whites and blacks, especially learners in schools and University students.Their relationships are excellent and from this status quo one can only infer that the oppression and apartheid we faced in the past was not necessarily an issue of being white per se but rather (unfortunately for them) embedded in the system they found themselves in at that particular time.At Independence in 1990 whites had been given other lenses through which to look at the world, what we should do (the black folks) is to provide help and support to them by embracing (accepting) whites.The issue of employing unqualified people at the expense of the qualified ones should not be tied to a race but addressed on its own merit.It will do our economy and country good if we refrain from employing people simply because they are comrades.Qualifications and job experience must match the job requirements and comrades (including myself) must only be employed if we meet the set criteria.Let us spare our children (blacks and whites) the experience we went through, in fact not obscuring the history, but giving them a chance to live and construct life the way they perceive it in the new era.I strongly feel that as Namibians we should not be negative and critical on the merits of employment of certain citizens on the basis of the racial group they belong to.All people, black and white, can contribute significantly to the growth of our country in many ways, hence let us give each citizen a chance to contribute and feel proud to be a Namibian.Namibia is a wonderful country blessed with many wondrous things which myself and many people all over the world admire, hence let us uphold honesty, integrity and unity in diversity.Uerivangera Tjivikua Eastern Cape