Zorena Jantze<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, in Parliament this week, shut down conversations around the new Ombudsman Bill in relation to international funding and the protection of human rights concerning members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer (LGBTQ) community, adding that this conversation would not be entertained as all Namibians have rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to go into the details of people\u2019s individual interpretations of what human rights are, guided by their own prejudices to say what human rights are. What I can say, regardless of what our interpretation is, first in this country, as Namibians, we are all humans; it does not matter what our race is or what our choices in life are. If this august House is talking about the protection of human rights, it means all Namibians, regardless of where they find themselves. I really don\u2019t want to go into that homosexual debate; I am not interested in that debate. It dilutes the essence of what this House is about when we are so focused on people\u2019s private lives,\u201d Dausab said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minister made these remarks in relation to questions posed by SWAPO parliamentary backbenchers, Tjekero Tweya and Veikko Nekundi, who expressed concerns that the new Ombudsman bill could support the homosexuality agenda through various international instruments and international funding from foreign countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI made it clear that I appreciate what these international instruments are. Section 7 of the Bill refers to international instruments and touches on homosexuality. Section 7\/D of the bill says to review the adequacy and effectiveness of laws and practices in Namibia, relating to the protection of human rights, and compliance with international human rights instruments. What are these instruments? Once bitten, twice shy. Our constitution did not support homosexuality. The Supreme Court surprised all of us. We cannot pass a bill without knowing certainly what those international instruments are?\u201d Nekundi questioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tweya also reiterated these sentiments and said, \u201cSomebody outside the country gives money to that office and says, ‘This is how we define human rights; here is a billion dollars to administer those human rights.’ We should not subject human rights to anyone because they have money,\u201d Tweya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dausab, however, shut these questions down and said that international funding is a broader debate that should be discussed outside the new Ombudsman Bill, and that insinuations that the bill promotes homosexuality will not be entertained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minister added that Namibia has a plethora of international laws ratified since 1990 and advised Tweya to read up on some of the papers she has written with regard to how international agreements apply to domestic laws. She also added that there are institutions that review laws in Namibia, which can assess how the country can exit international laws it has signed, which may not be in the best interest of Namibians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we are saying is we don\u2019t trust anyone outside ourselves. We don\u2019t trust that the Chief Justice or Ombudsman will take decisions that are good for the country. This shows a mistrust of our own institutions. The language we use to denigrate other Namibians, firstly, and secondly, not to trust important institutions, I think that is not okay. We have passed laws in this Parliament with similar language. What we should be saying is: Let\u2019s have a bigger conversation about foreign funding, and not suggest that the Ombudsman Bill has ulterior motives. I want protection, Honourable Speaker, because I will not allow any more conversations in the Ombudsman Bill about homosexuality,\u201d Dausab said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Says all Namibians have human rights Zorena Jantze The Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab, in Parliament this week, shut down conversations around the new Ombudsman Bill in relation to international funding and the protection of human rights concerning members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer (LGBTQ) community, adding that this conversation would not be …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":371133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-371132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n