Gwen Lister
21 September 2007
Windhoek — Seems like everything in Namibia is on hold pending the Swapo Congress scheduled for November 27. Anything of import, except for the most innocuous, will be suspended until Swapo decides.
The signs are ominous, even negative. The leaders have virtually declared a state of emergency, without having any tangible crisis to base it on. The nation must apparently hold its breath until what Swapo would regard as 'the majority' have spoken at said Congress, and in the meantime the fear factor is taking hold.
DOES this sound reminiscent of a stable, peaceful, democratic society? One would think we were at war if all the signs are to be heeded, warning of restriction of freedoms to come. Yet while Namibia remains stable, largely peaceful and mostly democratic, people are afraid to speak. From grassroots to political leadership, mum's the word on any topics but those known to ingratiate the powers-that-be. Like the media for instance. Quite safe to batter away at them for being the cause of all things evil in our country. And since we're not at war; don't have insurrection; it is surprising therefore that the biggest perceived threat seems to be one of the most basic tenets of democracy: free speech. The warnings come thick and fast from all quarters: From the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which continually turns its back on pressing labour issues to concentrate on matters concerning the image of Swapo in general, and that of its President, Sam Nujoma, in particular. Evilastus Kaaronda's ranting and raving at his almost weekly press conferences on non-issues, most recently the subject of which was 'USA terrorism' (!), is taking its toll.
The media failed to turn up at a recent presser, largely because there's nothing newsworthy about it. If he chose instead to talk about the almost incipient terrorising of a population into submission, it may be somewhat more topical. The NUNW and the Swapo Youth League (SPYL) and other self-styled progressive forces such as Nanso are also responsible for promotion of the fear factor.
Namibians, let us emphasise, are only exercising a democratic right to speak out. Yes, they know you can't say anything to anyone at any time, as all rights should have a context, but they're certainly deterred from airing their opinions, and especially their criticisms, of national politics or anything which may involve the ruling party, Swapo. And because Namibia is dominated by one major party, it stands to reason that much of the discussion agenda involves its governance at one level or another.
And that's a big no-no, particularly before the Congress. Talk to just about anyone in Swapo, ask even a Swapo leader for their opinion, and the stock phrase is 'wait until after Congress'. The Koevoets and the Casspirs have not been around for 17 years, yet the feeling when they were is similar to what it is now.
Then we had real reason to fear the military occupation and all it entailed. Now the fear is worse in a way because it is intangible; many people are unable to really put a finger on why they don't feel free. And then there are the threats, some subtle and others far more overt, which silences all but the fiercest of critics. The largely unanswered question is why. Most would be in denial that the fear factor exists at all, and others are reluctant to even attempt to answer this most crucial of questions. We are not a society under siege of any kind except that which we bring upon ourselves. And this is what is most unacceptable. And people largely seem to have forgotten that we fought so hard for these very freedoms that we are now prepared to dispense with by citing 'threats to national security' among others. In short, there is no threat to national security.
All that is currently happening (unless it is completely neutralised by those who perceive free speech as a danger to society) is a constitutionally democratic society trying to find its feet, wanting to find its real freedom, and yet intimidated by the powers-that-be. And we must all apparently wait take our cue from what the Swapo Congress says or does when it meets. Reading between the lines of a speech by Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, this week, when she said: "...we shall be guided by the feelings of the majority of the population and the national security situation in the country", this is precisely what she implies. It is not a time for reforms, she said of proposed media legislation, because the "socio-political climate is not right". Scary stuff, and even more frightening is the prospect of the tyranny of the majority.
With a handpicked Swapo Congress on the way, I guess a lot of things will become much clearer by year-end as to why and what is causing the fear factor to proliferate.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 The Namibian. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
