IF NAMIBIANS didn't obsess so much about race and tribe, then we wouldn't have as much of a problem as we seem to have increasingly, and ironically enough, almost 20 years after independence. The ongoing debate and controversy swirling around the statement of a Swapo politician, Kazenambo Kazenambo, about the prospects of a non-Owambo President seem to have fuelled the fire around this debate. And Kazenambo seems to be getting praise and condemnation in almost equal measure.

WHILE there's nothing wrong with Kazenambo expressing this sentiment, it shouldn't be a question of tribal 'quotas' of those getting a shot at the presidency - it should instead be a case of the best man (or perhaps even the best woman!) for the job, regardless of tribe.

And even as I make the appeal for an end to tribalism, and the obsession we seem to have with this fiery topic, it is at the same time a reality that this is how many Namibians think.

There's been the issue of the 'non-Owambo presidency', but there's also been the often sharp and pointed comments around the 'Coloured' debate which has a recently taken off, primarily in the print media letters columns.

Why this is happening now is open to speculation. But in my view it is not unlikely that it has to do with feelings of marginalisation among various non-Owambo groups who may feel that Government (and therefore the Presidency) looks after the interests of one tribe to the detriment of the others. And it seems to be manifest both within and outside the ruling party.

I continue to maintain that we have to place our 'Namibian-ness', our national identity, above that of race, tribe or colour. And I realise that this is no easy task. Particularly if Government is not regarded as being inclusive of other groups in society. Too much emphasis on what is regarded as the 'executive tribe' is not the way to go if Swapo wants to retain broad support outside this already huge constituency.

But I'm afraid the tribal obsession goes beyond just the ruling party, into a host of others. So it is not only Swapo members who have to try and think differently if Namibians are to put this kind of thinking behind them.

It needs to be understood that many Namibians, of all tribal persuasions, joined the struggle for our country's independence, and the fight was for the self-determination of all Namibians. It stands to reason therefore that tolerance should be the operative principle among all Namibians, regardless of their ethnic heritage. But more than this, we need to put sound and principled human values above cultural considerations, and this needs to be applied to people of whichever tribal group, colour or gender. It just seems that we are unable to do that.

Our politicians need to set an example, and they're not. It's a recipe for disaster, for example, if we descend to the level of berating anyone for their tribal identity; even to praise them for that matter.

In this regard, while I acknowledge Kazenambo's right to call for a 'non-Owambo' President, I don't agree with his statement to the effect that 'I'm a Herero Namibian and I am also looking for a Herero Swapo President'! Why can't he just be a Namibian above all, and regardless of his tribal affiliation?

We should all want the best President for Namibia. A man (or woman) with all the outstanding qualities truly required for effective, exemplary and inclusive leadership, who will not only unite Namibians from a non-racial perspective, but who will also make our country stand out as an example to Africa and the rest of the world.

But to get to such a point, we need to seriously think beyond the superficiality of race and tribe and think of national excellence instead. No easy task. But we have to start somewhere, and the sooner we nip our self-destructive tendencies in the bud, the quicker it will happen.