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Mandela writes

Defending our values is a categorical imperative.....

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Nangola Mbumba said a most profound thing at the recent SWAPO party rally, when he said amongst other, that there is no one entity that has a monopoly for being smart. I was reminded of this rather telling assertion this morning (Monday, the 15th of September, 2008) while listening to Hon Nora Chase MP (COD) on the Good Morning (Namibia) show.

The assertion that was made by her, implied to me that she viewed that SWAPO had failed at several levels and its failures in respect to the implementation of the constitution and consolidation of democracy where with intent.

This is no complicated matter to take issue with, thus I will do so briefly without much ado and jargon jostling. It is obvious that this statement is set against the backdrop of opposition hyperbole and was made without references to an objective measurement of the relevant tools for analyzing this; consider that Africa is abound with various measures in that respect. Consider also that the most fundamental basis always in our reference to ourselves and our relationship with the state, should be a reverence to firstly the constitution and then secondly other law, most things other than those that are codified in our law are arbitrary considerations.

She dully recognizes that the Namibian constitution is a fair and good instrument and that it enshrines the rights of the citizens of this country. However the assertion that the relevant provision in respect to the same are deliberately not adhered to is fallacious and devoid of logic and falls firmly in the ambit of polemic hyperbole. As Bona fide “defenders” of law, justice and democracy, Why then not defend the law in the courts. And seek the necessary legal recourse?

It is not my manner to consistently make reference to
the past in the analyze of nascent challenges, but in many cases we have to realize that there is a sound logical basis for such arguments on the odd occasion and this issue is one case in point. Democratic ideals both for leaders and the ordinary citizens take years and generations to entrench. So it is not odd in the Namibian instance that we have skirmishes. It is purely hogwash to say that SWAPO has not entrenched democracy in Namibia. In the first place while it is granted that SWAPO as the party in government has a major role to play in this endeavor, it is utterly nonsensical to say then that the failure of democracy is the fault of SWAPO.

Recently in the USA during the Texas “Two Step” as well as in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary, there was much uproar on the process its fairness and incidences of voter intimidation arose, even cases of cheating and actual fighting where recorded. Recently in Arkansas, the Democratic Party’s State Vice Chairman was shot and killed outside the parties’ state headquarters, in an attack that was largely seen to be politically motivated. Consider this against the background that even in a nation that is one of the world’s oldest liberal democracies, we do on the occasion react in an inappropriate manner.

My argument here is not that violence and intimidation is right but that it does occur in the process of a heated political race. The second predicate of my antithesis is that Namibia has an entrenched culture of antagonized politics with roots in the cold war era liberation struggle of the country.

In my modest view, we very often misinterpret the relative absence of our personal political values in the political system as unjust, this is wrong, selfish and at often times elitist. Democracy by its very nature presupposes that there are others in the polity that will have different views than that of our own.

Our democracy is young, fragile and in need of further consolidation, our nation is only now consolidating a new political culture and the odd occasional fracas must be condemned but let us please see such occurrences through the right lenses.

SWAPO should and will do its part to defend the gains of our liberation but so should others, the stakes have bearing on us all.

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