Namibia, Land of Hatred and Vulgarity?

Let it be clear: Lawmakers Jerry Ekandjo and Epafras Mukwiilongo have the right to make their stance against homosexuality public.

But they have no right to advance hatred and vulgarity in Namibia. What they did in parliament this week is nothing short of desecrating the Land of the Brave’s foundations of tolerance and respect for human rights as set out in the document that constituted Namibia as a nation state in 1990.

In short, there should be no space for crassness in Namibia’s parliament and government. Just what causes a person to spew so much hatred and anger towards a group of people who, by the way, have done no harm to anyone by being who they are?

Why would anyone decide that another person has no right to exist simply because of their sexual orientation or preference?

It is not only sad, but deeply troubling that a majority of lawmakers appear to support the likes of Ekandjo so strongly that they would not stop him and Mukwiilongo from making the National Assembly look like a cuca shop full of drunken patrons.

The way lawmakers laughed, clapped, joked and egged on Ekandjo suggests that many Namibians may still be living in the age of barbarism being led by such uncouth individuals.

Ekandjo has the audacity to argue that he wasn’t locked up at Robben Island and that many of his comrades didn’t wage the liberation struggle for Namibia to have anyone other than heterosexuals.

Well, Ekandjo needs reminding that he and his anti-homosexual ilk are not the only ones who fought for Namibia’s liberation.

In fact, many LBGTQI+ people sacrificed, and several were at the forefront of the struggle, just like Ekandjo.

Thank goodness Namibia was founded through a negotiated settlement.

Judging by the public uproar over the Supreme Court’s judgement about same-sex marriage, Ekandjo, and seemingly the majority of Namibians, would have used the death penalty on people they hate.

As Namibians, we need to understand there is nothing brave about wanting to destroy other people because of the sheer ignorance of the majority.

Namibia would be a dark and dangerous place for many minority groups if the country’s existence was based on the ‘rule’ of the majority.

It was because of the majority’s ignorance that HIV-AIDS spread like wildfire after being labelled the gays’ disease (omukifi womashenge in Oshiwambo).

Besides, the majority of Namibians face too many basic problems (grinding poverty, unemployment, inadquate healthcare, lack of water, electricity, education and sanitation …) to spend so much time and energy trying to suppress the rights of a minority group.

The homosexual community are the targets today.

Tomorrow the autocratic majority will target another minority.

It’s a slippery slope …

Let’s not allow Namibia to go to the dogs under the tyranny of a hateful and vulgar crusading ‘majority’.

Please.