Being privileged to interact with the community at various levels and forums in my capacity as a leader of a youth movement, I have of late noted a flood of concerns, opinions, sentiments, viewpoints, perspectives, and to some extent judgmental expressions being hulled at our traditional leadership on both opposing sides at the snail-pace or lack thereof of a clear roadmap to reconciliation.
Indeed such calls and/or sentiments were emphasized lately by some as the continued stand-off was exacerbated of late by the tense provocations between the two OvaMbanderu groups that reportedly played themselves out in the lead up to the Okahandja and Ongango commemorations, respectively. It wasnt too long after that confrontation that many critics conveyed their dithering hesitation at the genuineness and optimism about any possibility of reconciliation, as well as any hope for reunification, and took their disappointments right to the ‘foot-stool’ of Hon Chief Munjuku III.
The honourable chief’s fragility, it is alleged, is that since his ascendance to the throne, nothing substantial, notable and consequential has been put forward to indicate any genuine attempt or shot at reconciliation. While I agree in principle with the movers of these sentiments, and that indeed more needs to be done to give reunification of the community a genuine chance, I must state categorically that I personally find the accusations of feebleness by the Hon Chief (Munjuku III), or the leadership across both the tribal divide for that matter, a little bit ‘far-fetched’, misguided, regrettable and unrealistic.
My variance with such an analogy emanates from a viewpoint that, in my humble view, the reunification and/or reconciliation of two opposing camps that had an acrimoniously divisive, a ferocious, scathing and antagonistic court battle, as well as some venomous misgivings and wariness about each other post the seven-year protracted battle, was bound not to be a matter to be fixed ‘over-night’ with some ‘quick-fix’ approaches and hurried solutions. Such expedited solutions in my view would’ve been impractical and unrealistic; perhaps also insufficient and deficient of the genuineness such a move deserves, and most likely short-lived.
My view is that, despite our earnest hunger and thirst to see our community coming together in a noble and genuine reconciliatory spirit, we must equally exercise the necessary patience and ‘cool-heads’ to appreciate that the leadership on both sides, after it all, were bound to take some considerable time to ‘consult extensively’. Besides, we must also be realistic and alive to the fact that under the freedoms enshrined within our various human rights chatters, many in the exercise of their freedoms of association may not be quick, after such animosity, to see the need to disband from their newly found forums and groupings in the name of peace. This is the taxing and arduous reality we must be open to appreciate as we approach any attempt at reconciliation. Surely, we must also concede at least that the act of making followers on both sides to fully acknowledge, cherish and appreciate the anticipated ‘long-term vision’ for community development in unity as opposed to selfish attitudes of egoism and pride is indeed a process. I am also cognisant of the fact that many a time leaders become hostages to their own followers’ varying wishes and expectations about the way forward. This is so because many followers after such an unfortunate development are only concerned about “the feel good vengeance attitude to fulfil only their egos and self-esteem”.
But equally the same, a leader would not just over-night unliterary coerce his decisions onto his/her foot soldiers who fought unreservedly on his/her corner. Vambanderu ‘vojetu’, we must exercise the necessary restraint to allow due process to take its course, and take solace in the fact that at least the language, the manoeuvring, the pronouncements, and the tone by the traditional leadership, especially from Chief Munjuku III’s side and his ‘right-hand command’, Acting Chief Katjirua, offers hope that one day perhaps unity shall flow like a river among the OvaMbanderu community, and our pride will be restored once again through the generations to come. Such restoration may not be realised today, nor tomorrow, or perhaps in the imminent future; but surely that shouldn’t be an impediment to our hopes.
To borrow from the analogy of the ‘Great American Hero’, I personally refuse to believe that the bank of tolerance in our community is bankrupt (Martin Luther King Jr., 1963)… I refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of our humanity as a community to give peace a chance. Thus, I therefore remain optimistic of a lasting solution in time and a harmonious coexistence of my community, as one entity whose focus is not in the pettiness of our indifference, but rather in the opportunities advanced by our unity. ‘Okuhepa’!!!!
* Henda Joseph Matundu-Uananisa is the current chairperson of the Mbanderu Youth Association of Botswana (MYAB), and a lecturer at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology.