We are highly disturbed by the omission or commission of excluding Silozi as a language in a very important national document, which talks about money in the Republic of Namibia. This national document is titled ‘2015/16 Citizens Guide to the National Budget’.

This act commissioned by the Ministry of Finance is retrogressive by nature and should be condemned by all peace-loving Namibians.  And one wonders why the Zambezi regional leadership is silent about some of these abnormalities or are they trying to be nice as always. It is this type of discrimination that clearly gives reasons for some local people to start believing that Zambezi Region is indeed not part and parcel of the Republic of Namibia.

To add insult to injury, the Ministry of Finance deliberately quotes the Head of State, Dr Hage Geingob, and writes, ‘No Namibian must feel left out.’ Are people of Zambezi Region not Namibians? This is a citizen’s budget and whose citizens or nationality are we? It is a fact that Silozi-speaking Namibians are left out and there is no contest about this.

This can no longer be tolerated. We have seen in the past that Namibian history books taught in Namibian schools excluded the Zambezi Region. We have seen in the past – and at present – that Namibians from Zambezi Region are excluded from diplomatic postings as ambassadors or high commissioners. Currently, we only have one ambassador – at the AU – who is a Namibian from Zambezi Region and yet people from Zambezi were the second largest group in exile fighting for the freedom we are enjoying today.

Why now exclude us from Namibian representations abroad? Or are we not good enough? Why were our parents, uncles and aunties good enough in liberating Namibia from the yoke of apartheid but suddenly are no longer viewed as valuable?

I am talking about ambassadors and high commissioner postings and not first secretary or junior donkey work in Namibian embassies abroad.

The people of Zambezi Region are being killed day and night by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and what is the Namibian government doing or saying about it? Nothing, and the question is, why? Or are we not Namibian enough to deserve protection from the Namibian authorities? It is time that people of Zambezi Region be treated with respect because they are equally Namibians and should not be treated as children born out of wedlock.

Charles Siyauya

Katima Mulilo