'Hands off Diescho'

Opposition parties have criticised President Hage Geingob for engaging in public mudslinging with political analyst Joseph Diescho, who is now living in Germany because he says he fears for his life in Namibia.

During a town hall meeting at Nkurenkuru last week Geingob also appeared to have confirmed that Diescho was indeed fired as director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam) because of his political columns published in New Era.

Landless People's Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi this week condemned the president's conduct and said it was high time that the government stopped attacking Diescho.

“It is wholly unacceptable that a democratic government is taking so much time and energy at the public level to humiliate, harass, intimidate and character assassinate a citizen of this country,” said Swartbooi.





According to Swartbooi, Diescho has always been ready and willing to serve his motherland and he should be given the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the lives of all Namibians.

Swartbooi said it was unfortunate that the president used the town hall meeting to insult Diescho instead of listening to the concerns of the Kavango people.

“As for the people of Kavango, they have at a public meeting with respect and decency asked and stated their complaints and that they feel that they are not well represented.

“They have not said anything against any ethnic group; they have not insulted anyone to say who is overrepresented. They are just expressing their own circumstances and their own aspirations as citizens of this country. They deserve to be listened to,” Swartbooi said.

The LPM agrees that the Kavango people are heavily underrepresented in the economy, the judiciary, parliament and politics, he added.

During the town hall meeting Geingob also talked about Diescho not having a house, saying: “That is the person I brought back from the wilderness because I was told he did not have a house here. He cares for Kavango, and I am told he doesn't have a house, he stays in the Catholic Church (premises) or something. If you are so committed and worried about your people, why don't you have a house?”

This remark irked the PDM's McHenry Venaani, who said the president was wrong and should not been seen engaging in petty gossip about people's personal property.

“Society cannot dialogue personality and people's village homes. We must dislodge and unlock our human potential through valuing each potential. Professor Diescho deserves a chance in our society, not insults. Let's reserve our thoughts on negativity and focus on nation building,” said Venaani.

JEMIMA BEUKES