Exclusive Independence Celebrations – II Responding to the letter posted on March 30, 2004: Exclusive Independence Celebrations

DEAR fellow Namibians in Belvedere, Harare.

Know that you are not alone in the Independence celebration exclusion. I am a Namibian living in New York.For the past years, the Namibian High commission to the United Nations has held Independence celebrations here in New York at various first-class hotels and also at Namibia House.To my recollection, in the first four years of our Independence celebrations we received formal invitations.Thereafter, the Namibian community in New York was neglected or forgotten by our mission.From that time until now, a few Namibians who heard the word invited themselves to celebrate Independence, but something happened this year: the Independence celebration was postponed to a week later and attendence was by invitation ONLY.The Officers celebrated Namibia’s birthday with neighbouring dignitaries and with their close friends, excluding almost all of the Namibian community in the New York area.Our Government appears to be ignoring its own constituents, while it caters to people from other countries.This raises a red flag that is a shameful indication of bad national relationships among its own people.Dear fellow Namibians in Harare – don’t let anyone take that away from you.Namibian Independence is a gift for all Namibians; don’t wait to be invited.Hold your own celebration like we do it here in the USA.”Nduvaa Nguaiko” (NOTE: Name and address suplied – Ed.)I am a Namibian living in New York.For the past years, the Namibian High commission to the United Nations has held Independence celebrations here in New York at various first-class hotels and also at Namibia House.To my recollection, in the first four years of our Independence celebrations we received formal invitations.Thereafter, the Namibian community in New York was neglected or forgotten by our mission.From that time until now, a few Namibians who heard the word invited themselves to celebrate Independence, but something happened this year: the Independence celebration was postponed to a week later and attendence was by invitation ONLY.The Officers celebrated Namibia’s birthday with neighbouring dignitaries and with their close friends, excluding almost all of the Namibian community in the New York area.Our Government appears to be ignoring its own constituents, while it caters to people from other countries.This raises a red flag that is a shameful indication of bad national relationships among its own people.Dear fellow Namibians in Harare – don’t let anyone take that away from you.Namibian Independence is a gift for all Namibians; don’t wait to be invited.Hold your own celebration like we do it here in the USA.”Nduvaa Nguaiko” (NOTE: Name and address suplied – Ed.)