The Namibian Police (with the backing of the courts lately) have been misusing terms like ‘peace and security’ as well as ‘the Constitution’ to blatantly violate basic human rights.
This week police chief Joseph Shikongo banned a public meeting of the Zambezi-based United Democratic Party (UDP).
Shikongo had the audacity to decree: “Your ideology/philosophy of advocating the secession of Zambezi region is in conflict with the constitutional fundamental principle of identification of the Namibian territory . . . Therefore . . . you are forbidden from hosting, addressing or officiating any public gathering/meeting within the Republic of Namibia.”
Shikongo and the police in general apparently need (re)education about Namibia’s Constitution.
For starters, the Constitution in no way prohibits anyone from advocating the idea of secession. What is prohibited is the use of force and violence to achieve such objectives.
By these police standards, Shikongo will prohibit people advocating the death penalty and those who would want Namibia to be run according to Christian or biblical canons.
Expressing opinions is protected under freedom of speech, unless one crosses the boundaries of advocating violence.
Let the people meet and express themselves freely and robustly.
Such is the strength of peace, stability and security, aka genuine democracy.
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