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BE WOKE: Professor Joseph Diescho.
BE WOKE: Professor Joseph Diescho.

Kavango ‘voting cows’ being used and abused – Diescho

Political analyst not surprised at abandonment of family
Diescho has criticised a 'culture of funerals' in Namibia, saying people are honoured only after their deaths instead of being supported while alive.
Kenya Kambowe
Professor Joseph Diescho has urged leaders representing Kavango residents to prioritise the needs of the voters over and above the political parties they belong to.

In addition, he said Kavango residents are partially responsible for the dire poverty they face because they allow politicians to use and abuse them.

"I maintain that Kavangos do not have leaders who represent them. The current leaders represent their political parties and not the people. Hence my plea that people who go to parliament must be elected directly by the people and not sent by parties," he said in an interview with Namibian Sun.

He added: "The people are themselves at fault for allowing politicians to use and abuse them as voting cows."

Shame of a nation

The German-based academic was reacting to a Namibian Sun article that revealed how the surviving Kayova village family of 16 people who died as a result of suspected food poisoning is still struggling to make ends meet.

"I am not surprised at all that they are left on their own after everyone was scrambling to be with them during the time of the burial and when there was food and opportunity to be seen," Diescho said.

"Even the government abandoned them. It is a shame for our culture. My heart and prayers go out to them," he said.

Back to square one

Diescho said he is not surprised by the turn of events, as leaders are more inclined to use people for political gain as opposed to addressing the plight of the masses they are supposed to serve.

"The culture of funerals in Namibia is very bad and unfortunate. We celebrate people when they die but not when they are alive. I knew that the poor family that had such a tragedy in the family at the same time was going to be abandoned by the very people who went there to eat and cry," he said.

Forgotten and abandoned

The family recently revealed that the last time they ate a decent meal was around the time of the burial, when many people – including government – donated food during the mourning period.

They are currently surviving on food they collect in the wild, foraging for nonsivi and nongongo.

The family pleaded for assistance from the government, pointing out that their tragedy occurred due to a lack of food.

In addition to food, the family is asking for clothing and other basic necessities, as well as access to electricity and sanitation facilities.

Regarding drinking water, the family has access to it from the Kayova River Lodge, which is located close to the homestead, for which they pay N$45 each month.

Hunger deaths

The mass deaths were, at the time, linked to mahangu grains the family received after collecting and trading reeds.

However, Namibian Sun recently reported that forensic tests conducted to determine the cause of death for the 16 family members came back "inconclusive".

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-07

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