THE recent murder of an innocent black Namibian and his dogs at the hands of a seemingly demented white youth smacks of racist extremism.
Cattle herder Axarob Slinger (55) and a pack of his dogs were shot in cold-blood at a farm near Hochfeld and buried in an anteater hole in a vile, heinous, appalling, shocking crime committed last Sunday. If indeed this incident is racially motivated, which is the most likely and plausible explanation then we are sitting on a powder keg that will explode in our faces. This latest incident comes shortly on the heels of widespread public condemnation of what was and is still perceived a racially motivated attack at a pub in Gobabis where Levi Katire, a black patron, was allegedly savaged by a mob of whites.
These acts of racist violence by some miscreants in our society – whether they target black or white – are a painful reminder of our history and a painful past, when blacks where deemed second-class citizens and made to suffer countless indignities on a daily basis, not to mention the gross abuse and denial of basic human rights. Namibia is one of the most harmonious nations on the African continent where all people regardless of skin colour coexist peacefully. Now, it turns out that the Barbarians are at our gates and threaten to upset or hard won peace and stability.
Article 23 of our constitution is crystal clear and criminalises any acts of racial discrimination and the practice and ideology of apartheid, which has caused so much untold suffering in the past for the majority of Namibians. Apartheid laws and the diabolical complex of racial superiority, deliberately disadvantaged blacks politically, socially, economically and educationally for generations. We cannot tolerate this racist mentality to prevail in our country anymore. Just as we have known how to win our freedom back, we also know how to defend that freedom.
Article 10 of our constitution clearly states that all Namibians shall be equal before the law and that no person may be discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion or social standing. The fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in our constitution are clear testimony to our unquenchable desire for freedom, peace and justice in the country of our forbears. Above all, the right to life remains sacrosanct and that right to life shall be respected and protected at all times.
Not even a competent court of law may prescribe death as a competent sentence, but the suspect in this case acted as if he were God and took an innocent life. The suspect claims he thought he was shooting at ‘dogs’ but his clearly premeditated actions, including the hasty concealment of the victim’s body and the dogs in one hole, contradicts his claim. This is not the first time that black people suffer at the hands of trigger-happy racists, who use the tired and dehumanising excuse that they thought they were shooting at baboons or dogs. The SPCA, which was quick to condemn a fireworks display at the Windhoek Show is conspicuous by its silence considering that three dogs were shot dead. Were they going to maintain this same silence had the dogs been butchered in Katutura, Havana or Greenwell Matongo? Speak up for Slinger please, or at least for the three canines that died with him. Sunday’s senseless murder is beastly and abominable and will be met with sheer revulsion by all peace-loving Namibians who have had enough.
Whatever the reasons for this cold-blooded crime, Slinger and his dogs did not deserve to be shot and killed in this cowardly manner. We urge our law-enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this brutal act and hope that our courts will mete out the maximum sentence in accordance with our laws. This reprehensible act of cowardice should be roundly condemned with all the contempt it deserves. Let us send out a strong message, which is that we shall never tolerate racism in Namibia. Not now, not ever!
By The Editor