Geingob bashes Apartheid glorifiers
While President Hage Geingob’s Independence Day speech was underpinned by unity and promises of prosperity, he took the opportunity to lash out at Namibians who claim that the government has done little for Namibians and that Namibia under Apartheid rule was much better off.
An unimpressed Geingob took on “unpatriotic Namibians who dare to say there is nothing to celebrate and claiming that some conditions were better for Namibians during the Apartheid era”.
According to him, patriotism, essentially the love and defence of one’s country, with all its inherent flaws and greatness, should inform the conduct of all Namibians.
“What is not understandable is the unreasonable assertion by some that the days of racist, apartheid South West Africa were better than those of post-independent Namibia.
Also, it’s incomprehensible and deplorable for some Namibians to claim that for the past 32 years, nothing has been achieved, therefore Namibians have no reason to celebrate independence. Such mindsets are not only unpatriotic but insulting to those who made immense sacrifices in the quest for freedom. Our Independence Day is sacred and should be above our personal feelings and politics of the day,” said Geingob.
The president further assured the nation that the country’s progress towards prosperity rests on a dynamic and robust economy and that although government has made every effort possible to support economic growth, government’s role is only that of facilitation.
“The government’s priority is not to conduct business. Instead, our focus is on fulfilling the needs of vulnerable members of our society through implementing social relief programs and creating a conducive business environment. As the engine of our economy, the Private Sector must also play its role. Only through the holding of hands and pulling 13 in one direction, will we be able to achieve a society in which shared prosperity can exist,” he said.
Geingob also repeated that his administration has ensured that corruption is not endemic in Namibia, however, there are isolated cases where individuals have engaged in high-level acts of corruption.
This has prompted the government to foster closer co-operation with international anticorruption agencies to help fight corruption.
“Our national ambitions are threatened by the scourge of corruption, which, if allowed to gain a foothold in our society, places our national security, sovereignty, and economic development under severe threat. Corruption is a global problem and requires a united approach if we aim to defeat it,” he said.
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An unimpressed Geingob took on “unpatriotic Namibians who dare to say there is nothing to celebrate and claiming that some conditions were better for Namibians during the Apartheid era”.
According to him, patriotism, essentially the love and defence of one’s country, with all its inherent flaws and greatness, should inform the conduct of all Namibians.
“What is not understandable is the unreasonable assertion by some that the days of racist, apartheid South West Africa were better than those of post-independent Namibia.
Also, it’s incomprehensible and deplorable for some Namibians to claim that for the past 32 years, nothing has been achieved, therefore Namibians have no reason to celebrate independence. Such mindsets are not only unpatriotic but insulting to those who made immense sacrifices in the quest for freedom. Our Independence Day is sacred and should be above our personal feelings and politics of the day,” said Geingob.
The president further assured the nation that the country’s progress towards prosperity rests on a dynamic and robust economy and that although government has made every effort possible to support economic growth, government’s role is only that of facilitation.
“The government’s priority is not to conduct business. Instead, our focus is on fulfilling the needs of vulnerable members of our society through implementing social relief programs and creating a conducive business environment. As the engine of our economy, the Private Sector must also play its role. Only through the holding of hands and pulling 13 in one direction, will we be able to achieve a society in which shared prosperity can exist,” he said.
Geingob also repeated that his administration has ensured that corruption is not endemic in Namibia, however, there are isolated cases where individuals have engaged in high-level acts of corruption.
This has prompted the government to foster closer co-operation with international anticorruption agencies to help fight corruption.
“Our national ambitions are threatened by the scourge of corruption, which, if allowed to gain a foothold in our society, places our national security, sovereignty, and economic development under severe threat. Corruption is a global problem and requires a united approach if we aim to defeat it,” he said.
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