Defiant National Unity Democratic Organisation lawmaker Vetaruhe Kandorozu has refused to withdraw remarks bordering on tribalism and racialism against deputy education minister Dino Ballotti.
Approached for comment yesterday, Kandorozu maintained his position and stands by his remarks. “I remain there,” he responded in brief.
He was earlier quoted in the media as saying his controversial remarks towards Ballotti stem from frustrations over historical land dispossession and ongoing racial inequalities in Namibia. He maintained that although he withdrew the statement in Parliament due to procedural rules, his views and opinion on colonial injustices stand.
Nudo
Nudo acting president Peter Kazongominja yesterday moved swiftly to distance the party from Kandorozu’s remarks.
Yesterday, Kazongominja said the party’s leadership disappointingly took note of what transpired in Parliament. We are a national party that was founded on the principles of unity and progress. So, Kandorozu’s remarks in Parliament can never be the position of Nudo. In fact, as I’m talking to you right now, I’m on my way to Windhoek to come attend to that issue and others. He [Kandorozu] will have to be dragged through a party disciplinary process for bringing Nudo’s name into disrepute,” said Kazongominja, a former councillor of the Aminuis constituency.
Nudo, Kazongominja said, was founded by some of Namibia’s renowned national leaders, such as Hosea Kutako, Mburumba Kerina and Clemens Kapuuo, in 1965, on the principles of unity, democracy and progress.
“Nudo is a national party for all Namibians; therefore, Kandorozu’s remarks against honourable Ballotti are divisive, uncalled for and highly dangerous. That is not what Nudo stands for, and that is not building a nation,” Kazongominja said.
He added, “So, as leadership, we are meeting this weekend to investigate that issue, and a comprehensive press statement will also be issued to the media and public at a later stage after our meetings.”
Chaos
Kandorozu on Wednesday in Parliament told Ballotti to “go back to Italy” and that “Namibians do not look like him.”
Chaos then ensued in the august House when Kandorozu called out Ballotti for allegedly constantly interrupting the official opposition leader, Independent Patriots for Change’s Imms Nashinge, who was making contributions to the Appropriation Bill.
It got out of hand when Ballotti walked out of Parliament in protest, which saw Kandorozu telling him to “go back to Italy” and that Namibians do not look anything like him.
To defuse the tension, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Phillipus Katamelo told Kandorozu to withdraw his remarks as they are unparliamentary.
However, Kandorozu, who had first refused to back down, later agreed to withdraw his remarks, saying he was only doing it for the sake of procedural progress.
The deputy speaker had to adjourn the session prematurely as tensions continued to rise from the ruling Swapo members, whose members protested Kandorozu’s utterances.