Staff Reporter
THE Chairperson of the Stop Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage movement in Namibia, Pendapala Nakathingo has given President Nangolo Mbumba 21 days to sign the Marriage Amendment bill outlawing same sex marriage in Namibia or provide reasons for declining to sign the bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Attorney General for the matter to be decided by a competent court.
In the statement, Nakathingo also demanded for the dismissal of Justice Minister, Yvonne Dausab, who he alleges is promoting the homosexual agenda in the country.
Nakathingo added that should the president not sign the bill, the movement would be left with no option but to call for a national referendum before the national assembly and presidential elections take place.
The Full statement reads as follows below:
Dear His Excellency Dr. Nangolo Mbumba,
RE: ENDORSEMENT, ASSENT AND OR SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL AND SPOUSE BILLS 2023
1. The above subject matter bears critical reference.
2. Article 56 (2) of the Namibian Constitution provides that: “Where a bill is passed by a majority of two-thirds of all the members of the National Assembly and has been confirmed by the National Council the President shall be obliged to give his or her assent thereto.”
3. Further Article 64 of the Namibian Constitution provides that: “…the President shall be entitled to withhold his or her assent to a bill approved by the National Assembly if in the President’s opinion such bill would upon adoption conflict with the provisions of this Constitution. Should the President withhold assent on the grounds of such opinion, he or she shall so inform the Speaker who shall inform the National Assembly thereof, and the Attorney-General, who may then take appropriate steps to have the matter decided by a competent Court.”
4. On 18 July 2023 the National Assembly passed the Marriage Amendment Bill with a two third majority and was thereafter sent to the office of the President for assent. The Marriage Amendment Bill were passed in accordance with Article 81 of the Namibian Constitution after a controversial Supreme Court judgement made in May, 2023.
5. It is clear that, the Constitution provides guidance as to what should happen when the Bill gets to the President. Either assent is obtained, and or if the President has a constitutional concern, the President must inform the Speaker of the National Assembly of such concerns as well as the Attorney General who may then take the appropriate steps to have the matter decided by the competent court.
6. Considering the length of Eight Months time after the two Bills was passed, we as citizens of this country are left wondering whether the late President has had a concern or he was still forming an opinion. But the constitution has clearly stipulated that, should the President have a concern with such Bill, He should communicate such concern or his opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Attorney-General for the matter to be decided by the competent court as per Article 64 of the Constitution.
7. The silence and or the inaction of the former President does not seem to uphold and protecting the Namibian people and the Constitution, but it could be seen as an attempts to undermine the power of the Namibian people and the Constitution. We hope and believe that, our current President Dr Nangolo Mbumba shall heed to our call and ascent the Bills.
8. Therefore, we the Namibian citizens who directly voted the President who is the Manager of our Country’s Business affairs (Namibia) are calling upon the President to assent to the Marriage Amendment Bill and the Spouse Bill within 21 days of receipt of this letter. Those Bills were passed by the two third majority of the National Assembly and endorsed by the two third 2/3rd majority of the National Council our representatives (including Cabinet Ministers) who are the Supervisors of our Country’s (Namibia) Business affairs, that we have voted through various political parties (Article 17) to make laws for us and on our behalf.
9. Secondly, Your Excellency Mr. President, we register here our serious concern of Ms. Yvonne Dausab continuously occupying the public office as a Minister of Justice while busy pushing to destroy fundamental rights and culture as enshrined and protected by chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution.
10. It is a public information, that Minister Yvonne Dausab in 2022 entered into a same sex marriage with a fellow Namibian woman, a local media personality.
11. It is common knowledge that Namibian laws particularly sodomy laws do not support same sex marriages or homosexual relationships. Dausab’s conduct is a serious violation of our laws and inconsistent with her oath of office and cannot be ignored. She engages herself in immoral practices by engaging herself in unnatural sex in that marriage, which is a criminal offence in terms of the Combating of Immoral Practices Act, 1980 (Act No. 21 of 1980). We as citizens (Men and Women) and sovereignty of this country are right to conclude that she is no longer proper and fit to be Minister of Justice and the Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL) which is the custodian of our laws because she is directly in conflict with our laws and is no longer impartial.
12. As such, Ms. Dausab continue to spear head the agenda of legalising homosexuals in Namibia and pushing for the repeal of sodomy law which prevents homosexuality and same sex marriages, see attached newspaper article of Windhoek Observer 18 May 2021.
13. We demand that she must be removed or resign from the face of Justice with immediate effect. We as citizens of this country believe that her conducts and behaviours are against our culture, religion and insult to our laws. She is publicly undermining constitution and the President must not insult us by keeping her in our public office justice to continue doing injustice too our demands as voters. This mistake of appointing her as Minister of Justice must be corrected with immediate effect!
14. Lastly, we call upon you Your Excellency our President to pronounce yourself if you are against are standing us as majority citizens and sovereignty of this country who are against homosexuality and same sex marriage, the evil agenda or;
15. You are standing with Yvonne Dausab, the imperialists and the Gay foreigners who concluded their same sex marriages outside the Namibia and now wants to destroy our cultures and religions and also who wants to sodomize country through the LGBTQ+ Agenda. (all that mentioned, reflects in our letters to the President, dated 22 December and 20 July 2023, respectively).
16. Finally, Should the President stand on the side of Ms. Yvonne Dausab, the imperialists and foreigners, who demands same sex marriages (LGBTQ+) to be recognized and be lawful in Namibia, we the citizens (Men and Women) and sovereignty of this country shall be left with no option but to call for the national referendum before National Assembly and Presidential Elections takes place.
17. Last but not least, whosoever wants to lead this country as President, must declare his/her condemnation against homosexuality and same sex marriages in Namibia before National Assembly and Presidential elections took place. The Swapo Party government must make sure to set record straight that there is no room for homosexuality and same sex marriages in the Namibian laws. Otherwise, we shall choose our own suitable candidate as President who shall protect our fundamental rights and dignity in accordance with chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution.
Thank you!
