MEDIA RELEASE | 20 OCTOBER 2020
The Society of Advocates of Namibia ("the Society") has noted a recent alarming
media report concerning statements attributed to the SWAPO President, Dr Hage
Geingob.
The media reported, inter alia, that the President – at the launch of SWAPO’s
campaign for the upcoming Regional Council and Local Authority elections –
(a) expressed his “concern” about “white Namibians” registering
themselves “in big numbers” to vote in the said elections;
(b) stated that “white Namibians” have “declared war” against the ruling
party, “despite SWAPO making sure white people enjoy peace, unity and
comfort”;
(c) stated that “I have noted that and I will not forget that. People are
declaring war against Swapo. Swapo who made them enjoy peace and
unity, enjoy their comforts. The comforts they have enjoyed all this time
and you declare war against Swapo. I heard you”.
Increased participation by Namibian citizens in the democratic process should be
encouraged and not decried. Of greater disquiet is what could be construed to be
some form of veiled caution directed against those persons who do not signal their
support for the ruling party. This approach is fundamentally at odds with the Namibian
Constitution. Article 17 of the Namibian Constitution entrenches the rights of Namibian
citizens to –
(i) participate in peaceful political activity intended to influence the
composition and policies of the Government; and
(a) are irresponsible, disappointing and unbecoming, moreover in a
democratic State founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law and
justice for all;
(b) may serve to incite racial disharmony, have no place in a democratic
Namibia and conflict with the constitutional guarantee of equality and freedom
from racial discrimination as embodied in Article 10 of the Namibian
Constitution;
(c) undermine the founding principles enshrined in the Preamble of the
Namibian Constitution, which recognise the equal and unalienable rights of the
individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of race, colour,
ethnic origin, sex, religion, creed or social or economic status, and which
unequivocally records that we, the people of Namibia “will strive to achieve
national reconciliation and to foster peace, unity and a common loyalty to
a single state” and “committed to these principles, have resolved to
constitute the Republic of Namibia as a sovereign, secular, democratic
and unitary State securing to all our citizens justice, liberty, equality and
fraternity”.
The President is called upon to, at all times, respect the Namibian Constitution and its
founding principles.
Adv. G Narib
President
Society of Advocates of Namibia
20 October 2020
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