In the early 1960s, a group of politically inspired Namibians left Namibia to seek political, material and military assistance. They solicited support from their African brothers and from peace-loving countries beyond Africa with the view of liberating Namibia. These mainly young patriots also went to petition the UN to put South West Africa (Namibia) under the United Nations trusteeship. In 1974 the largest group ever of students, workers, teachers and nurses left the country to join those who were already in exile to strengthen the fight for the liberation of the country. Many of such groups of boys, girls, men and women continued leaving Namibia until 1989 when the ceasefire was signed between SWAPO and the racist South Africa.
This ceasefire culminated in a United Nations supervised election that resulted in the independence of Namibia. Many of these people unfortunately did not make it to witness the independence of their motherland. They paid the highest price by sacrificing their precious lives for the independence of their motherland. However, the majority of these freedom fighters managed to return and witness the dawn of a liberated Namibia. Some of the freedom fighters were elected to high offices of the land. However, many of the freedom fighters who fought to liberate our land, whether from within or without the country, unfortunately feel that they do not maximally or as expected, enjoy the fruits of independence.
Today, when I look at what is happening in Namibia, many questions come to mind. Many a time I ask myself, what would happen if those martyrs and leaders were to rise today and find that there is no shortage of tribalism in the country, a disease they fought against and against which some of them paid supreme sacrifice? They will be surprised to notice the hatred being created between ethnic groups that they in the past had organised to fight against the enemy and its manifestations.
I dreamed for a free and independent Namibia where there is no tribalism. It pains me deeply when I hear tribal connotations nowadays. It is even more terrible that these tribal connotations are being expressed by some Namibians who have entered the doors of institutions of higher learning. The tribal connotations are coming from those who regard themselves as former freedom fighters. I ask myself many times, what would Peter Nanyemba, Tobias Hainyeko, Greenwell Matongo, Brendan Simbaye and Homateni Kalwenya feel if they were to rise up and see what is happening in Namibia today?
What will Hanganee Katjipuka, Eliader Mwatara, Leo Tshoopara and many others say about this situation? Many a time I ask myself as to what will be the reaction if Mandume ya Ndemufayo, Iipumbu ya Tshirongo, Nehale lya Mpingana, Hompa Hawanga and Jacob Marenga, if they were to rise up and see what is happening? What will Hendrik Witbooi and Samuel Maharero say if they were to rise today and see the country close to what could be said is a state of tribal confusion? Why is SWAPO, an experienced political movement, not trying to debantustanise the mentality of Namibians under its rule?
What they would be confronted with in Namibia is a Namibia where there are gossips or rumours of nepotism, corruption, tribalism and a situation where some leaders when aspiring to be elected to higher position in a political party will verbally bend the walls of their political party’s electoral rules and principles in order to suit their selfish desires. Some will classify their comrades as leaders without political constituencies. These failed politicians replace membership to political parties as a constituency with a tribal or regional constituency. Some will at electoral colleges distribute lists of names of people who are not supposed to be elected and a list of those who must be elected.
One day I read a political propaganda article that was being circulated in the social media saying that 90% of the natural wealth in Namibia is not based in the northern part of Namibia, yet 90% of the millionaires and billionaires are found in the north. The northerners are highly developed and that the school-going children in the north are taken to school by Mercedes Benz while school-going children from other ethnic groups are walking to school. This propaganda is deliberately orchestrated in order to disseminate untruths and create a wedge between people from the north and those from the rest of Namibia. The author did not try to find out why people from the north are better off (if they are) than those from the rest of the country.