Gwen Lister
18 April 2008
column
Windhoek — I am certain many Namibians, and not only myself, feel embarrassed about the country's official stance towards Zimbabwe especially today, the anniversary of Zimbabwean independence! And more particularly since we fought for our own rights so vociferously during the struggle, but we don't seem to think other countries and people are entitled to the same.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba ducked questions on Zimbabwe during his State of the Nation speech last week, saying he would wait until his Foreign Minister, Marko Hausiku, returned from his mission there. NOT only Hausiku, but also Swapo Vice President and new Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob, was recently dispatched on a regional tour. But we've had no feedback or briefings since either of them returned. ZBC News reported on February 28 that Geingob had recently met with President Robert Mugabe to "deliver a special message" and belated birthday greetings from our President.
Namibians remain in the dark as to the contents of that 'special message'! Geingob was reported as saying that 'co-operation between Zimbabwe and Namibia was vital as both Swapo and the ruling Zanu-PF are former liberation movements'. He also said Namibia had benefited a great deal from Zimbabwe in terms of holding elections in a free and democratic manner. If ZBC News reported Geingob correctly, then he may yet rue his words! As to what Foreign Minister Hausiku did on his recent visit there, we still need to be enlightened. President Pohamba said he couldn't take a position on the Zim election delays until such time as he'd been briefed by his Minister, but the latter has long been back, and there's been an ominous silence ever since. It was, coincidentally, just over a year ago that the CoD's Ben Ulenga futilely tried to propose a motion for Parliament to discuss the torture and gross human rights violations against opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) politicians in Zimbabwe.
Our Foreign Minister was the ringleader in shouting the motion down and objecting to it (so nobody should be surprised that he returned from Zim empty-handed!). When the Speaker asked those who opposed the motion to rise, 31 Swapo MPs rose as one to indicate they favoured silence on the violence in Zimbabwe. "We were also imprisoned" said then Labour Minister Alfeus Naruseb, adopting a 'so-what' approach to the violence levelled against political opponents in Zimbabwe.
Some said Swapo had not scored a victory in Parliament that day in March 2007 when it struck aside the motion, but had in fact succeeded in defeating democracy then and there. Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, then Swapo Secretary General, said that the discussion didn't belong in Parliament and should be left to the executive. Well, just look now that this has happened. Not a word from our President since he fielded questions in regard to Zimbabwe over a week ago. And the situation is deteriorating faster than we can speak. We don't of course know the final outcome of the Zimbabwe elections, but if, as most believe, it goes the way of the MDC, then Swapo will have to bite its tongue, forget about all the eulogies they've given the Zimbabwe despot, put aside their dismissal of torture of MDC leaders and rampant abuse of the people of Zimbabwe, and dispatch their congratulations to a new President! Politics is often opportunistic, and Swapo is no different to the rest.
It is not their sycophantic support for Mugabe as much as their dismissal of the raison d'être of 10 million Zimbabwe citizens that particularly angers me. South African Thabo Mbeki has basically written his epitaph on the Zimbabwe affair. It will forever read 'lame duck' or the 'silent diplomat' at best. His likely successor, Jacob Zuma, the African National Congress (ANC) and Cosatu did so much better by speaking out on Zimbabwe.
And in the region as a whole it's only President Levi Mwanawasa of Zambia, and (belatedly) Ian Khama of Botswana, who've had any guts. Shame on our President and Government for failing to speak out for the greater good of Zimbabwe and for kow-towing to a despot until the bitter end.
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