No place for tribalism, racism u2013 Kawana
No place for tribalism, racism u2013 Kawana

No place for tribalism, racism – Kawana

Herma Prinsloo
Attorney-general Albert Kawana has urged Namibians not to go into reverse gear and compromise the ideals of Namibia's policy of reconciliation.

This comes at a time of increasing racial tensions reported in the country during 2019, including the deputy minister of information Engel Nawatiseb claiming racism at the hands of white compatriots.

Speaking to Namibian Sun, Kawana said he is puzzled that there are still characters who are out to destabilise the country and undermine its unity.

In April 2019, Namibian Sun reported about how a black worker was chained to a pole by his white employer, who allegedly wanted to keep him from wandering about.

At the time the owner of the workshop said the incident was a mere joke and they did not realise what the legal implications would be.

“As a nation we move together. You know what happened is that the forces of People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), SWATF and Koevoet were consolidated into one Namibian defence and police force. So, for me these incidents were very painful. Now after 30 years and these things are coming back, for me it is a puzzle,” said Kawana.

The South West Africa Territorial Force was an auxiliary arm of the South African Defence Force and comprised the armed forces of South West Africa from 1977 to 1989.

Koevoet was the counter-insurgency branch of the South West African Police. Its formations included white South African police officers, usually seconded from the South African Security Branch or Special Task Force, and black volunteers from Ovamboland.

Former Namibian politician and human-rights activist Rosa Namises said racism has been a silent problem and is driven by unresolved issues which Namibians are sitting with.

According to her, even interracial marriages have done very little to sooth these racial tensions.

“We are not even racist, we are tribalist. Even the white Afrikaner people are very tribalist they would maybe reach out only to English and Germans. But the Germans are very tribalist and so are we the black tribes. Even sharing workplaces and in some cases common homes have not changed the way we look at each other,” she said.

During Heroes' Day commemorations last year President Hage Geingob said Namibians should reject tribalism and embrace the new narrative that espouses unity, transparency and accountability.

“This is not only a day to commemorate the selfless acts of sacrifice, it is also a day for us to reaffirm our patriotism, to foster a true sense of pride and duty towards our nation. This is our country, the only country we can call home. Protecting Namibia for our future generations is a shared responsibility. We must ensure that under no circumstances will we throw away the beautiful gift that was given to our people by God; the beautiful gift for which thousands of Namibians fought and died for,” he said.

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JEMIMA BEUKES

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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