Political Perspective

SO now Swapo doesn’t want to ‘turn the clock back’, especially when it comes to talking about the detainee issue, which a CoD Parliamentarian futilely tried to put forward in the National Assembly.

In what appeared to be a defensive stance following their rejection of the motion, Swapo issued a statement to say that there was a specific prohibition on unearthing actions prior to the implementation of the United Nations settlement plan (Resolution 435) which brought about Namibian Independence. This may be so, but then Swapo ought to practice what they preach.I AGREE that eternal hammering on the past at the expense of the present and the future is not a good thing.I am one of those who have urged forward thinking.But what angers me is that Swapo is simply using every excuse in the book to duck this issue, which, as I’ve said before, is a very simple one, and doesn’t require endless discussion.All they need to do, and all the former detainees want them to do, is simply to acknowledge the detainee issue and to apologise.Then we can move on.And since that is what various people have gone on record to ask for in the past, if Swapo did so, we could put the matter to rest where it belongs, a tragic chapter in our history, hopefully never to be repeated.I realise, though, that Swapo is afraid that just such acknowledgement and apology will result in a Pandora’s box of recriminations and accusations, and possibly even court applications.I would change my stance if that were indeed to happen if and when they did apologise, because I don’t believe that this will take us forward.So while Swapo may have reason to fear a backlash resulting from such a move, I still believe only they can bring closure on the detainee issue.What I don’t like however, is the hypocrisy of suddenly pulling out a rationale that ‘prohibits’ talking about the past.It is only because it suits them in this instance, and I am surprised that Swapo’s Chief Whip Ben Amathila is the one who drafted the statement.He is otherwise a moderate man by any standards.Said Amathila: “The Swapo Party and its Government adopted at Independence the policy of reconciliation, cognisant of the fact that the war of national liberation was long and bitter, brother pitted against brother, sister against sister.Many were caught in the crossfire.Independence meant turning a new page – a page of peace through reconciliation”.If this were really the case, if one thinks it through logically, then why would Government adopt a policy of affirmative action? It is, after all, a very specific move to redress the wrongs of the apartheid past.In terms of Swapo’s current stance, affirmative action should therefore be prohibited along with talk of the detainee issue, since we have ‘reconciled’.Why create a Ministry for Veterans? The former combatants created a fuss and got themselves a Ministry.Their fight was also prior to Independence, so why is the Party giving credence to the views and opinions of one set of people whose actions preceded our self-determination, and not another? Surely a double standard again? Going back even further in our history, how do reparations for the Herero fit into this picture? Swapo is constantly pulling the past apart, especially when it comes to the blame game.And I’ve never heard them speak of this ‘prohibition’ before now.The policy of reconciliation has been long discussed and hotly debated.The architect is none other than former President Sam Nujoma himself (let us give credit where it is due in this regard, for in principle it is an admirable stance) but he’s hardly practised what he preached, and has often conveniently forgotten that he is the person who brought this into being.We can and should be able talk about anything and everything, and this should not negate the policy of reconciliation.Not if it’s done in the right way.Interesting to see though, in the camps for and against the motion, that Nudo’s Kuaima Riruako and a fellow Nudo member abstained (they who continue to demand redress for injustices against the Herero nearly a century ago!).On the side of Swapo, Willem Konjore abstained too, and he was the only one.Well, bully to him for going against the Party grain and attributing this to the fact that we live in a democracy! Finally, all things considered, Swapo’s crushing of the motion is largely an undemocratic thing to do – an act of censorship in fact, and clocks have nothing to do with it!This may be so, but then Swapo ought to practice what they preach.I AGREE that eternal hammering on the past at the expense of the present and the future is not a good thing.I am one of those who have urged forward thinking.But what angers me is that Swapo is simply using every excuse in the book to duck this issue, which, as I’ve said before, is a very simple one, and doesn’t require endless discussion.All they need to do, and all the former detainees want them to do, is simply to acknowledge the detainee issue and to apologise.Then we can move on.And since that is what various people have gone on record to ask for in the past, if Swapo did so, we could put the matter to rest where it belongs, a tragic chapter in our history, hopefully never to be repeated.I realise, though, that Swapo is afraid that just such acknowledgement and apology will result in a Pandora’s box of recriminations and accusations, and possibly even court applications.I would change my stance if that were indeed to happen if and when they did apologise, because I don’t believe that this will take us forward.So while Swapo may have reason to fear a backlash resulting from such a move, I still believe only they can bring closure on the detainee issue.What I don’t like however, is the hypocrisy of suddenly pulling out a rationale that ‘prohibits’ talking about the past.It is only because it suits them in this instance, and I am surprised that Swapo’s Chief Whip Ben Amathila is the one who drafted the statement.He is otherwise a moderate man by any standards.Said Amathila: “The Swapo Party and its Government adopted at Independence the policy of reconciliation, cognisant of the fact that the war of national liberation was long and bitter, brother pitted against brother, sister against sister.Many were caught in the crossfire.Independence meant turning a new page – a page of peace through reconciliation”.If this were really the case, if one thinks it through logically, then why would Government adopt a policy of affirmative action? It is, after all, a very specific move to redress the wrongs of the apartheid past.In terms of Swapo’s current stance, affirmative action should therefore be prohibited along with talk of the detainee issue, since we have ‘reconciled’.Why create a Ministry for Veterans? The former combatants created a fuss and got themselves a Ministry.Their fight was also prior to Independence, so why is the Party giving credence to the views and opinions of one set of people whose actions preceded our self-determination, and not another? Surely a double standard again? Going back even further in our history, how do reparations for the Herero fit into this picture? Swapo is constantly pulling the past apart, especially when it comes to the blame game.And I’ve never heard them speak of this ‘prohibition’ before now.The policy of reconciliation has been long discussed and hotly debated.The architect is none other than former President Sam Nujoma himself (let us give credit where it is due in this regard, for in principle it is an admirable stance) but he’s hardly practised what he preached, and has often conveniently forgotten that he is the person who brought this into being.We can and should be able talk about anything and everything, and this should not negate the policy of reconciliation.Not if it’s done in the right way.Interesting to see though, in the camps for and against the motion, that Nudo’s Kuaima Riruako and a fellow Nudo member abstained (they who continue to demand redress for injustices against the Herero nearly a century ago!).On the side of Swapo, Willem Konjore abstained too, and he was the only one.Well, bully to him for going against the Party grain and attributing this to the fact that we live in a democracy! Finally, all things considered, Swapo’s crushing of the motion is largely an undemocratic thing to do – an act of censorship in fact, and clocks have nothing to do with it!