Wars of Attrition!

THE sagas continue: MIX in a state of uncertainty, with a legal sword of Damocles over their heads (at least TUCN stands up for them at present), senior city police remains effectively punished even though their superior’s duplicity was exposed and MeatCo continue to drag out their case against Wally Roux.

The powerful players continue to use their primary weapon of time to cause maximum psychological and financial pain, and often damage to reputation. The old management maxim of “give it time and the problem will go away” is played out; and experience shows that this tactic often works.Those under threat either buckle under the pain or are forced to capitulate through sheer exhaustion, mentally and financially or through boredom and frustration.Their initially vociferous supporters fade having stated the obvious, in every way possible, but the reasoning is studiously ignored.The big guys feel no pain and pump out the usual platitudes of “ongoing investigations”, “reports being studied”, “advice being sought”, and the best one, “a committee has been formed”! All to gain time and weaken their opponents through legal due process when in fact they are inflicting punishment through that process before judgement.Little different from trial awaiting prisoners who languish in fetid conditions for years unable to pay small bail amounts.Punishment before judgement.As one cynic (?) said – “the Law is for the Poor”.The other cases remain important and must not be lost in the institutionally induced mists of time.Real justice is when society accepts justice has been done, beyond the letter of the Law; within the common spirit of the Nation.But the Roux case remains pivotal as it is about the right of free speech and the right to express opinions – without which the other matters cannot even be discussed if the “controllers” do not wish it.As previously written in this paper, MeatCo, must remain aware of these wider implications.And Roux may be right? It has therefore been interesting to follow matters since the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) meeting on April 24 2007 when Dr.Mareike Meyn of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), on behalf of the Agricultural Trade Forum (ATF) presented a disturbing scenario regarding time limitations and potential losses to Namibia if the EPA regime was not quickly finalised, including impact on the Northern Communal Areas (NCA).She also raised matters regarding the sincerity of the EU and SA (following their bilateral agreement).All to no avail, the sterile audience ducked the issues.(baa … (s)?) Since that meeting and following Roux’s suspension for having previously expressed the above opinions privately (?) and a lot more relevant negotiating tank traps the following news items are of interest: New Era (14/06/07), where “MeatCo indicates that the beef exports to Europe were less than half the quota”; thus after 2 good rain years we cannot deliver.Someone’s goofed? The Namibian (09/07/07), “The first official round of talks took place between June 17 and 23 (2007) with EU representatives at Walvis Bay,” and “The other four members of SACU now have to formulate tariff offers to the EU, which in reality means to reduce and eventually eliminate import tariffs for EU goods in order to match what South Africa already did under its separate TDCA with the EU,” and “Regional economic integration (at SADC level) would however be undermined if SACU countries are to be differentiated and requested to offer different market access to EU countries,” a GRN representative is quoted to have said.Hang on guys – these problems have been well documented since the Cotonou Agreement was signed last century! What have we been doing for the past few years? Someone’s goofed? The Namibian (09/07/07), when it is pointed out by a GRN representative “that ‘new generation trade’ and ‘trade in services’.Includes the service industry, Internet Protocol (IP), which is a protocol for delivering data across networks and telecommunication.….trade in services includes public procurement and eventually EU companies would be able to tender in the SADC region to supply goods to Governments and state-owned enterprises” and implying that by lamely accepting better terms for cows that we can’t deliver the EU services vultures will land and pick us clean! A clear choice between cows and people! (Sounds familiar?) New Era (21/06/07), in a speech delivered on behalf of the Minister quoted “It was projected in 1999 that economies of South Africa’s SACU neighbours would feel the harshest effects of the trade deal.Since trade between SACU economies is tariff-free, a South African free trade agreement with the EU would therefore in effect be extended to the smaller BLNS economies” … and.”(the Minister) said Namibia never granted the requisite permission to South Africa to implement the TDCA and that there was also need to harmonise SACU’s trade relations with the EU under one trading regime” … and.”The negotiations were launched in Windhoek three years ago.The partners have now exchanged their offers, and it is expected that they will move towards a conclusion on important parts of the agenda during the negotiations to take place later this week in Walvis Bay.”So GRN was fully aware of the implications in 1999, realise that we were “done in” by the TDCA bilateral agreement and there seems to be some inconsistency within GRN whether the Walvis Bay talks are initial or final! A realisation of the realities and dilemma? The Namibian (21/06/07), a prescient observation was made by Dr.Cruella in saying “these two sectors have been ignored in the process? referring to civil society and the private sector.Is it that parties are viewing such agreements as sources of largesse and patronage? Pork barrel politics? BUT my faith in the higher levels of democratic process was suddenly restored when good old NBC (News, 20h00 11/07/07) reported that the proposed terms of agreement between SACU and EFTA was not all they were cracked up to be.The heat was on, the rhetoric was flying and KK was dissenting vociferously (where was AJ?)! Members of both sides were trotting out familiar words ….which strangely seemed to echo the words of …… one Wally Roux! Then the House referred the matter to Committee before the de-boning knives came out and carcasses littered the august floors.I, of course, could suggest an advisor! See (just) above.Sometimes even the mighty have to bow to the truth and the freedom to express it.Even MeatCo can be …..?.Wars of Attrition can be countered by true justice.Bravery required.Thought for the day from recent speech at the African Public Service Day? “With the National Integrity Promotion Program which the Office was involved in during 2003/4, the importance of linking public service delivery with corruption was constantly emphasised.”Really? Hopefully a slip of the pen.Chris Smith csmith@mweb.com.naThe old management maxim of “give it time and the problem will go away” is played out; and experience shows that this tactic often works.Those under threat either buckle under the pain or are forced to capitulate through sheer exhaustion, mentally and financially or through boredom and frustration.Their initially vociferous supporters fade having stated the obvious, in every way possible, but the reasoning is studiously ignored.The big guys feel no pain and pump out the usual platitudes of “ongoing investigations”, “reports being studied”, “advice being sought”, and the best one, “a committee has been formed”! All to gain time and weaken their opponents through legal due process when in fact they are inflicting punishment through that process before judgement.Little different from trial awaiting prisoners who languish in fetid conditions for years unable to pay small bail amounts.Punishment before judgement.As one cynic (?) said – “the Law is for the Poor”.The other cases remain important and must not be lost in the institutionally induced mists of time.Real justice is when society accepts justice has been done, beyond the letter of the Law; within the common spirit of the Nation.But the Roux case remains pivotal as it is about the right of free speech and the right to express opinions – without which the other matters cannot even be discussed if the “controllers” do not wish it.As previously written in this paper, MeatCo, must remain aware of these wider implications.And Roux may be right? It has therefore been interesting to follow matters since the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) meeting on April 24 2007 when Dr.Mareike Meyn of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), on behalf of the Agricultural Trade Forum (ATF) presented a disturbing scenario regarding time limitations and potential losses to Namibia if the EPA regime was not quickly finalised, including impact on the Northern Communal Areas (NCA).She also raised matters regarding the sincerity of the EU and SA (following their bilateral agreement).All to no avail, the sterile audience ducked the issues.(baa … (s)?) Since that meeting and following Roux’s suspension for having previously expressed the above opinions privately (?) and a lot more relevant negotiating tank traps the following news items are of interest: New Era (14/06/07), where “MeatCo indicates that the beef exports to Europe were less than half the quota”; thus after 2 good rain years we cannot deliver.Someone’s goofed? The Namibian (09/07/07), “The first official round of talks took place between June 17 and 23 (2007) with EU representatives at Walvis Bay,” and “The other four members of SACU now have to formulate tariff offers to the EU, which in reality means to reduce and eventually eliminate import tariffs for EU goods in order to match what South Africa already did under its separate TDCA with the EU,” and “Regional economic integration (at SADC level) would however be undermined if SACU countries are to be differentiated and requested to offer different market access to EU countries,” a GRN representative is quoted to have said.Hang on guys – these problems have been well documented since the Cotonou Agreement was signed last century! What have we been doing for the past few years? Someone’s goofed? The Namibian (09/07/07), when it is pointed out by a GRN representative “that ‘new generation trade’ and ‘trade in services’.Includes the service industry, Internet Protocol (IP), which is a protocol for delivering data across networks and telecommunication.….trade in services includes public procurement and eventually EU companies would be able to tender in the SADC region to supply goods to Governments and state-owned enterprises” and implying that by lamely accepting better terms for cows that we can’t deliver the EU services vultures will land and pick us clean! A clear choice between cows and people! (Sounds familiar?) New Era (21/06/07), in a speech delivered on behalf of the Minister quoted “It was projected in 1999 that economies of South Africa’s SACU neighbours would feel the harshest effects of the trade deal.Since trade between SACU economies is tariff-free, a South African free trade agreement with the EU would therefore in effect be extended to the smaller BLNS economies” … and.”(the Minister) said Namibia never granted the requisite permission to South Africa to implement the TDCA and that there was also need to harmonise SACU’s trade relations with the EU under one trading regime” … and.”The negotiations were launched in Windhoek three years ago.The partners have now exchanged their offers, and it is expected that they will move towards a conclusion on important parts of the agenda during the negotiations to take place later this week in Walvis Bay.”So GRN was fully aware of the implications in 1999, realise that we were “done in” by the TDCA bilateral agreement and there seems to be some inconsistency within GRN whether the Walvis Bay talks are initial or final! A realisation of the realities and dilemma? The Namibian (21/06/07), a prescient observation was made by Dr.Cruella in saying “these two sectors have been ignored in the process? referring to civil society and the private sector.Is it that parties are viewing such agreements as sources of largesse and patronage? Pork barrel politics? BUT my faith in the higher levels of democratic process was suddenly restored when good old NBC (News, 20h00 11/07/07) reported that the proposed terms of agreement between SACU and EFTA was not all they were cracked up to be.The heat was on, the rhetoric was flying and KK was dissenting vociferously (where was AJ?)! Members of both sides were trotting out familiar words ….which strangely seemed to echo the words of …… one Wally Roux! Then the House referred the matter to Committee before the de-boning knives came out and carcasses littered the august floors.I, of course, could suggest an advisor! See (just) above.Sometimes even the mighty have to bow to the truth and the freedom to express it.Even MeatCo can be …..?.Wars of Attrition can be countered by true justice.Bravery required.Thought for the day from recent speech at the African Public Service Day? “With the National Integrity Promotion Program which the Office was involved in during 2003/4, the importance of linking public service delivery with corruption was constantly emphasised.”Really? Hopefully a slip of the pen.Chris Smith csmith@mweb.com.na