Margaret Mensah-Williams
All forward-looking and visionary societies adhere to progressive norms, rules and values that guide, instruct and direct such societies for their own good. It is for this reason that we have what is called the rule of law, where laws are written and enacted to ensure that the society which makes up a nation dynamically advances in an orderly way.
Generations that follow existing generations in families, communities, societies and nations do not simply inherit physical assets, but they inherit the very norms and values that have been put into place over time because it is these norms and values that have sustained the nation.
The amendment of laws coupled with the enactment of new laws is a continuous process as nations are not static, but dynamic within their geographic borders and beyond as part of the family of nation states of the world.
Should the rule of law no longer be adhered to in a family or a nation, then the eminent result is lawlessness which will most definitely lead to chaos. Chaos means disorder, disarray, disorganisation, confusion, mayhem, pandemonium, madness, havoc, turmoil, commotion, and upheaval.
A nation that allows this to be the order of the day will most definitely destroy itself as chaos birthed in a place will lead to unparalleled [anarchy].
The supreme law of our beloved country, like any other serious country, is enshrined in a document called the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia which was ratified on 9 February 1990 and effective from 12 March 1990 just before independence from apartheid South Africa later that month.
The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia was amended twice, in 1998 and 2010. Namibia has a mixed legal system of uncodified civil law based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law. The point here is that Namibia is a country occupied by a law abiding citizenry as any other contemporary state that belongs to the family of nation states of the world geographically, politically and economically.
Namibia has a national strategic plan espoused in Vision 2030, NDP5 and Harambee Prosperity Plan which are guidelines that are meant to enhance, advance and develop the country for the benefit of all members of our society.
Whilst we are all aware of the economic downturn and the economic headwinds that not only Namibia is facing, but the entire region and the world, it truly surprises one when we as a nation are confronted by the unreasonable actions of young people claiming to be community activists and political leaders when they choose to incite communities by breaking the law.
What message are we sending to the rest of the population when we claim to be leaders and yet openly defy our law enforcement agencies, especially the police force?
The dreams, hopes, desires and aspirations of the masses are not foreign to the democratically elected political leaders of our country. To rubbish and poke a finger at the laws of our country is to cut one’s own nose to spite one’s own face and thereby sabotaging your own existence and future.
Nobody denies the existence of informal settlements which are a direct result of migration to urban centers that were not designed and built to handle the extent of influx of people seeking a better life. It is also unfair and an ignoble endeavor for anyone to incite people by manipulating their social situation whilst knowing that efforts are being made to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Namibia.
It would also be amiss of any of us to ignore the fact that young people are feisty and at times impatient. However, to channel that impatience and frustration so wrongly that it manifests through deliberately breaking the law to score political points at the expense of the country is dangerously opportunistic.
The desire and propensity of some segments of our society to want to make Namibia ungovernable through whatever means is a reality that cannot and should not be entertained or tolerated in whatever shape, form or size it comes because people, Namibians, from all walks of life paid the ultimate price so that we can live in a free, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist, peaceful Namibia.
The peace of Namibia was and is not cheap to sustain through the laws that are in place for the benefit of all.
To advance a cause, especially a social, economic and political cause requires savvy, discipline and smart integrity as well as the willingness to sacrifice and not be self-preserving.
Whilst one does not desire prison for anyone, it is truly interestingly curious that a few hours in custody by a so-called land activist would result in hospitalisation. It is one thing to break the law, but something else to face the consequences of such an action.
The conclusion that one draws from this is that we are faced with young people who want to provoke the leaders of the country by provoking the law enforcement agencies in a bid to masquerade as martyrs fighting for the rights of people.
This is called cheap politicking and yet dangerous because it lures innocent people to follow suit without even truly realising that they are being used as cannon fodder in an opportunistic political agenda driven by selfish ambition.
We have watched many young people, in their quest to be recognised and trying to be significant employ the rudest and most unbecoming behavior and language towards our national leaders, including the President of the Republic and others.
What we see trying to rear its ugly head at the expense of peace in our country is not acceptable and cannot be lauded or ignored to continue unabated. We live in a democratic country where the rule of law is respected and upheld and where institutions and systems are in place that afford and allow any citizen to express their concerns, satisfaction or dissatisfaction. As President Hage Geingob like saying, peace is boring, but expensive.
* Margaret Mensah-Williams is Chairperson of the National Council.