FLIPSIDE —- Chris Jacobie
THE continued presence of corruption convicts, Katriena Hanse-Himarwa, Tobie Aupindi and Marina Kandumbu on Swapo’s National Assembly list is not a matter of law, regulations or Swapo factional politics, but a matter of arrogance and an insult to public opinion.
It is a simple matter that can be settled by conscience or “inner voice” that every Namibian are born with to distinguish- between right or wrong.
To intellectualize a proverbial Georgian knot is a silly competition of vocabulary and volume that distracts from basic expectations of ethical behaviour of public office and trust.
The debate on law also serves no purpose, except to strengthen the arrogance of the transgressors and their conviction that they have a duty to no one, and especially not the public, their party or their comrades. In short if there is a law that legalizes dishonesty in the legislature, it is a bad law and every right minded Namibian should rise against it.
The stubbornness of the convicted corrupted bring all other members of parliament – opposition and ruling parties alike -under suspicion for a lack of personal standard and renders the parliamentary and oath of public service useless and meaningless.
Elected leaders who have the ability to ignore their conscience, have no reason to honour any other man-made law, even those they pass themselves, because it is only applicable to others.
The silence of Hanse-Himarwa, Aupindi and Kandumbu on their positions disqualifies them even further and is a tragic demonstration of their inability to understand and sympathize with the national public disgust in corruption and dishonesty.
When the resignation of two ministers implicated, but not found guilty yet in the growing fish corruption case, is welcomed as “patriotic”, the three convicted must surely realize that their refusal to do the same must be condemned as “cold hearted contempt for ordinary Namibians and cold blooded public cowardice.”
In spite of all the national embarrassment and political fall-out, the fishrot-scandal has united Namibians against dishonesty like never before.
It is because of politics that the biggest scandal in Namibian history was camouflaged, because some leaders have perfected the art to bring the appointing authority under the impression that they are accused and suspected, because of their support to the appointing authority or the ruling party.
It now seems that those who claimed to be victims of their loyalty to the highest office, in fact were the traitors of trust of the highest office.
What is worse is that Hanse-Himarwa, Aupindi and Kandumbu did not only break the law and were found guilty, but they have also betrayed the trust of those that elected or appointed them into the legislature of Namibia, where the lawmakers became the lawless.
Ministers and parliamentarians swear an oath and affirm that they will uphold the laws and the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia.
It they break the law and are found guilty of their crimes, it does not matter whether they are sent to prison or not.
The political suicide bombers of Swapo have gone too far and those that can ignore their conscience should not be allowed to ignore the Namibian people. If they cannot jump in the national interest they must be pushed to save the national reputation.
The people of Namibia might not have much, but unlike the corrupt, they still have their pride.
Namibians will protect it, because they believe in it.
