Political Desk
In one of the most timely and consequential opinion pieces to Namibians, the First Gentleman, Luitenant-general (Rtd) Denga Ndaitwah, address the issue of power of tribes, but warns against the dangers of tribalism that is rearing its head in society.
General Ndaitwah, whose growing reputation and popularity as champion for the Namibian boy child and anti-drug campaigner, is widely respected for his discipline, humility, straight talk and tried and tested Namibian values of respect and dignity.
Lt-genl. Ndaitwah observed that politicians are well aware that tribes are the sources of national power, identity and political strength. They know very well that tribalism is a recipe for national self-destruction.
“Despite this political reality, politicians opted to use both tribe and tribalism – depending on the circumstances — when trying to garner political support from the electorate.
“Politicians who take tribes as national power, identity and political power, deploy it to their political advantage. However, those who choose tribalism and manipulate the minds of people, do that to the detriment of the people and their own political career.
“Namibia came from a dark history of apartheid and racial laws of segregation that was characterised by divide and rule based on the colour of a skin and tribe. The apartheid and racial laws of segregation in Namibia were crafted based on 11 tribal/ethnic lines.”
General Ndaitwah said whites topped the list because they considered themselves as supreme human beings comparable to none. For the reasons known by those who were on power, the Oshiwambo speaking tribe was at the tail end of the list despite the fact that they made up over 50% of the Namibian population.
“While apartheid and racial laws were so inhuman targeting blacks, it was an effective weapon at the disposal of the minority whites. Be it as it were, those laws were implemented to the letter and spirit as we were all aware of our limitations. For example, whenever you find a sign reads, “European only”, it was obvious that exclusive for whites only and a no go area for blacks.
The same is true that it was unlawful, shameful and disgrace for a white person to be a resident for example of Katutura as that location was exclusive meant for blacks. Whoever trespasses those laws, would face a long arm of the law. In order to protect our own skins, we as citizens of this country have adhered to those laws despite the fact that they were inhuman.
It is those inhuman laws that made the majority black Namibians to take up arms and endure protracted war of resistance and liberation struggle. After precious lives were sacrificed by the sons and daughters of the soil, it was a historic watershed and unforgettable moment to witness the lowering of the apartheid flag and the hoisting of our national flag midnight of the 21st March 1990 when the apartheid inhuman laws were buried to rot forever.”
General Ndaitwah regarded midnight of the 21st March 1990, as the moment the Namibian nation regained its rightful national identity and political independence after apartheid laws was finally buried. It was also on the same day that Namibia fully joined other nations and recognised as a member of international community.
Within the African context, the national power, identity and strength starts with a family, tribe, nationality and continental and so forth. That is how Africans can be identified. With specific case of Namibia, it is our individual identities that gave us national identities as Namibians regardless of our roots of origin. We must therefore, be extremely delighted to be what we are because it our tribes and nationality that gave us unquestionable Namibian identities.”
It is also a historic fact that the majority of Namibians are Bantu speaking who migrated from Central and Great Lake Regions. If this school of thought is correct which I think it is, then the offspring majority of Bantu speaking Namibians belong to the same tribe and family one way or the other.
It is therefore, obvious that, the majority of our people who are Bantu speaking have all settled in Namibia like all many Africans who have settled to different parts of the continent. However, the best of it is that we are still within the borders of our continent. Migration was just a matter of giving one another breathing spaces and it must not be used as a weapon to disunite us. “
General Ndeitwah said Namibians must acknowledge that Namibia is a rainbow nation made up of many tribes and colours. It is our characteristics as a nation that was supposed to serve as a source of political strength and a national uniting factor as opposed to divisive force. As a diverse and multicultural nation, we must all be proud of what we are.
He applauded the drafters of the Constitution as visionary by inserting Chapter 2, Article 4 of the supreme law of the land and made provision as to who is qualified to be a Namibian citizen. Tribes or no tribes, our identity is therefore our citizenship, entrenched in the supreme law of the land.
“It is our different tribes and colours that makes the rainbow. We must therefore, learn from and embrace the spirit of our children who are growing up non-tribal and colour blind. As a nation, we must inculcate and plant seeds that shall contribute towards national building.
“It must as well be entrenched in our minds that there is no second-hand Namibian or any Namibian who is more Namibian than the other as there is no any Namibian who is Namibian by default.
All Namibians are Namibians because they are Namibians. The gravity of destructive and divisive tribalism that have destroyed many African countries must not be allowed to have a space in independent Namibia. It is therefore, imperative that we must accept one another diverse as we are and ensure that peace prevails as a prerequisite that will make this nation to prosper and move forward in harmony.
Namibia has commodious political space that is enough for all of us and possibly those who are yet to come. In any case, there may be still people out there who are not Namibians today but may apply to be Namibians tomorrow based on the Constitutional principles. From the moment their applications have been approved, they will qualify to be Namibians with equally rights like those who were born Namibians.
It is always frightening when one looks at what is happening in some parts of Africa where tribalism is causing sporadic conflicts because it has been used and continues to be used for political gains. Tribalism has caused total political pandemonium to many parts of the continent to the extent that nations have been faced with total destruction of properties and loss of lives.
General Ndeidtwah is cautioning Namibians to be observant.
“Looking closely what is happening in Namibia these days, it appears as if some of politicians are running out of a political agenda and now resorting to dirty tribal politics. There are conspicuous evidences that the ugly face of tribalism and regionalism is surfacing in Namibian politics. We must be mindful that tribalism and regionalism will break up our reputable political fabrics of this nation. We must therefore, guard against the emergence of ethnocentric politics.
“Against that backdrop, as a nation, we must not allow our tribes and regions to be used as national self-destructive weapon. Instead, our tribes and regions must be employed as sources of national power, identity and political strength that must always have national building at heart.
Lt Gen (rtd) Denga Ndaitwah is a former Member of Governing Council of IUM. Former Chief of the Defence Force and a Holder of Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies. He was a part time lecturer at UNAM, served as HOD and senior lecturer at IUM. Views expressed here are that of the author.
