Politics as a dirty game is a widely held view that political arenas are often riddled with manipulation, deceit, and self-interest. 

While politics in its ideal form is about governance, public service, and the collective good, the phrase highlights how the pursuit of power can corrupt those ideals. 

But contrary to this view, there are principled leaders and transparent systems, although the structures of power, especially in systems with weak accountability, can easily lead to corruption and the dearth of political conscience. 

Notwithstanding that Namibia experienced double colonisation, the current system reeks of corruption and a dearth of political conscience. 

In worsening the double colonisation, both colonial masters were ruthless, like German colonialism, which first experimented with the issue of concentration camps, which she applied with precision during the Second World War in her areas of jurisdiction. 

The South African regime, on the other hand, just continued in the footsteps of German atrocities by inflicting colossal casualties on the people. 

Imagine Germany decimating more than half a million people without showing any remorse or conscience by even failing to apologise to the Namibian people. 

With Independence thirty-five years ago came hope that the dearth of political consciousness would be a thing of the past. 

That is what many people thought but were surprised when it was realised that the system had its own way of circumventing this process. 

The phrase dearth of political conscience in fact refers to a lack or scarcity of awareness, responsibility, or ethical consideration in political matters. It suggests that individuals or groups are either indifferent to or unaware of the moral implications and responsibilities associated with political decisions, actions, and behaviour. It becomes satiric because those in power are aware of what is going on.

A dearth of political conscience, therefore, means that people may act in self-interest without regard for justice or fairness, exhibit very little moral reflection on the impact of their political choices and those of political leaders, or ignore their ethical responsibilities. Society might suffer due to this lack of conscientious political behavior. 

That is precisely what the system has manifested when it comes to the secession case of the Zambezi region.

Imagine the alleged secessionists being found not guilty and yet the system flatly refuses to compensate them for the years of their unconstitutional incarceration! 

It might be assumed that there are parallels between the colonial and post-colonial systems, as both have limited elements of political conscience. African countries, before freedom from colonial masters, would attack the oppressors for the unfair and unjust system. 

Still, similar colonial actions and policies are often reinforced with rigidity after independence. Finding the alleged secessionists not guilty meant that they were innocent indeed. 

The step taken to muzzle their monetary compensation was indeed deliberate and contrary to the spirit of the Namibian Constitution.  Article 21(1) (b) spells that all persons shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and belief, which shall include academic freedom in institutions of higher learning. 

If by any chance the victims flirted with the idea of secession in their minds, that did not constitute any crime; it is only when some of them took up arms and fought. 

No one condones secession here, but the system should have considered this issue from a legal perspective. 

Still, the dearth of political conscience rears its ugly head in a situation where alleged secessionists are detained for a long period of time, without presidential pardon. 

It has also become unfortunate that although the alleged secessionists were found not guilty, a stigma is attached to whatever they perform, and similarly, their families suffer the same fate of discrimination. 

Unfortunately, the concept of secession has been inculcated in the minds of some people to mean rebellion against the Government. 

Consequently, it becomes difficult for reconciliation to take root when people are treated as such, mainly if they are found innocent. 

In addition, an idea inculcated in the minds of the people cannot simply be erased like that. 

The war of liberation in this country is a clear example that, despite the colonizer’s resolve to crush the forces seeking to free the country, South Africa, with its modernized army, failed to achieve this military objective. 

*Makala Lilemba is an academician, author, diplomat, researcher and scholar.