MPs concerned about their safety

Members of Parliament expressed concern over their safety in the National Assembly, after education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa found a note in the chambers addressed to her last week.

She found the small piece of paper in her paper holder and immediately alerted Speaker of the NA Peter Katjavivi during the session.

“This may look innocent and insignificant, but you never know,” said the minister of education, arts and culture before she read the note to her fellow MPs.

It reads: “Give us our right back; give us our democracy back; let those who want to use electronic voter machines (EVMs) – let them use it, and those who want to use ballot papers, let them use ballot papers. International Day of Democracy. To Katrina Hanse-Himarwa”.

The session then continued without any interruptions or discussions on the matter.

However, Katjavivi later responded to Hanse-Himarwa, informing her that an investigation was conducted on the information she had provided: “the note was left on her desk by participants who attended the commemoration of the International Day of Democracy on 15 September 2016”.

“I don’t think it was intended for you as such, because we removed the names of the Parliamentarians (from the benches). We will find our own way to deal with it,” he said.

Unsatisfied with the Speaker’s response, Hanse-Himarwa emphasised that her name was on the piece of paper.

Other MPs said the matter should be taken seriously.

“Today, it may be a piece of paper; the other day it will be a bomb,” some concurred, noting that if an individual could enter the chambers and leave such a note, then they were concerned about their safety.