Demos against BDF killings 'pointless' – presidency
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
Presidential spokesperson Dr Alfredo Hengari yesterday described demonstrations planned for today against the Botswana Defence Force's (BDF) killing of Namibians as "pointless, politicised and misplaced".
Hengari, in a widely-criticised statement, said President Hage Geingob was already seized with the matter and therefore demonstrators were “an unwelcome distraction”.
Four men – three Namibian brothers and their cousin from Zambia - died last week after being shot by the BDF along the Chobe River. The BDF said they were poachers, but their family said they were fishing and unarmed.
President Geingob met with the family this week at State House and assured them he had held talks with his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, who agreed to a joint investigation into the killings.
The killings have angered the nation and a peaceful march has been pencilled in for today in Windhoek.
The march is scheduled to start from Zoo Park to the Botswana embassy, then demonstrators will head to State House.
Pointless
But in a statement yesterday, Hengari dismissed the planned march as political and pointless.
“The 13 November 2020 planned demonstrations against the Botswana Defence Force on Namibian soil and petition to the head of state by individuals following the fatal shootings of 5 November 2020 are pointless and wholly misplaced,” said Hengari.
“When the government, and the president in particular, is attending to matters in an urgent manner, blatantly politicised demonstrations can become an unwelcome distraction.
“Namibia is a country governed by the rule of law and demonstrations for good causes are often hijacked and weaponised for political gains, and this has the potential to distract from the systems, processes and institutions that have characterised our governance architecture.”
Insensitive
Critics, especially on social media, described Hengari’s statement as unfortunate and insensitive. They said the government does not have a monopoly on the matter and should not police people’s emotions after the senseless killing.
About 37 Namibians, mostly from the Zambezi Region, who lived along the border with Botswana have been killed by that country’s armed forces during anti-poaching operations.
WINDHOEK
Presidential spokesperson Dr Alfredo Hengari yesterday described demonstrations planned for today against the Botswana Defence Force's (BDF) killing of Namibians as "pointless, politicised and misplaced".
Hengari, in a widely-criticised statement, said President Hage Geingob was already seized with the matter and therefore demonstrators were “an unwelcome distraction”.
Four men – three Namibian brothers and their cousin from Zambia - died last week after being shot by the BDF along the Chobe River. The BDF said they were poachers, but their family said they were fishing and unarmed.
President Geingob met with the family this week at State House and assured them he had held talks with his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, who agreed to a joint investigation into the killings.
The killings have angered the nation and a peaceful march has been pencilled in for today in Windhoek.
The march is scheduled to start from Zoo Park to the Botswana embassy, then demonstrators will head to State House.
Pointless
But in a statement yesterday, Hengari dismissed the planned march as political and pointless.
“The 13 November 2020 planned demonstrations against the Botswana Defence Force on Namibian soil and petition to the head of state by individuals following the fatal shootings of 5 November 2020 are pointless and wholly misplaced,” said Hengari.
“When the government, and the president in particular, is attending to matters in an urgent manner, blatantly politicised demonstrations can become an unwelcome distraction.
“Namibia is a country governed by the rule of law and demonstrations for good causes are often hijacked and weaponised for political gains, and this has the potential to distract from the systems, processes and institutions that have characterised our governance architecture.”
Insensitive
Critics, especially on social media, described Hengari’s statement as unfortunate and insensitive. They said the government does not have a monopoly on the matter and should not police people’s emotions after the senseless killing.
About 37 Namibians, mostly from the Zambezi Region, who lived along the border with Botswana have been killed by that country’s armed forces during anti-poaching operations.
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