'State language' fuels tribalism – Venaani
DTA president McHenry Venaani says the government is fuelling tribalism by resorting to name-calling when others disagree with it.
The opposition leader also warned the minister of land reform, Utoni Nujoma, not to “antagonise” others.
“I listened to him [Nujoma] on Otjiherero radio and his message was not that of a leader. He is dealing with a sensitive ministry and should not tell others that they want Bantustans when they say they want their land back,” Venaani said yesterday at a press conference called to address the issue of tribalism.
Venaani said Nujoma's argument was flawed in the sense that the genocide negotiations between the Namibian and German governments could also be construed as “negotiating Bantustan issues” because the genocide matter involved the OvaHerero and Nama people directly.
“How, on the one hand, you are saying that you are addressing the Nama and Herero matter with the Germans, which is a purely tribal historical reality, and yet when the same people say they are denied access to land through the resettlement scheme you say they want Bantustans?” questioned Venaani.
He added: “The language of leadership should be very cautious because the state language is fuelling this arrogance.”
Venaani also took issue with the official explanation for President Hage Geingob's no-show at last November's Damara cultural festival.
The presidential spokesperson, Albertus Aochamub, said Geingob did not attend the event because chief Justus //Garoëb was not a recognised traditional leader of the Damara.
“That is undermining minorities. People have a right to say they are being undermined because the head of state is arguing that you are only his children if you have [official] recognition; without recognition you are not his children,” Venaani said.
He said //Garoëb remained the de facto paramount leader of the Damara people.
“I think it is dangerous politics State House is playing in this country. Let us not think that by undermining those that are numerically smaller in numbers and appeasing those in the majority you appease the country,” Venaani said.
Venaani also cautioned all communities, traditional leaders and especially young people to refrain from fuelling tribalism, and warned particularly the youth from misusing social media to tarnish others.
“We in the DTA cherish the idea that tribes must be harmonised for Namibia to grow. We do not want to kill tribes for Namibia to become a unitary state. Tribes should remain. Blacks, whites and coloureds should remain in the country but we must have a culture of harmony,” he said.
Venaani added: “We are very worried people are being used against one another. We should calm down. This is not the moment to seize to go to war with one another. We must learn to co-exist. But the majority must also learn to be sensitive to minorities in the country.”
CATHERINE SASMAN
ANCESTRAL LAND CLAIMS
Venaani said tribal land demands were genuine because certain groups had been dispossessed, but ancestral land claims would be practically impossible to implement.
“Ancestral land claims are not the big issue. Zimbabwe went this way and contextualised it to mean that all blacks must own land. They have given all land to blacks but Zimbabwe is a disaster.
“Should we go the Zimbabwe way? We cannot. The country has a national character and what we need to do is to marry historical issues and the realities. You have farmers that have bought land, white and young farmers that are farming. We need to think how to intermarry everybody so that we have a national character,” he said.
He said his party strongly opposed a Zimbabwe-style land grab.
“We should draw a narrative that is modern, working and addressing issues to move the country forward. We should think futuristically to maintain the economy but historical facts and realities of the day should be considered to allow competitive farmers, whether white or black, to be able to have a piece of land in the country.”
The DTA suggested a “model policy” for the land issue that would resuscitate the agricultural sector and also address “critical and historical legacies”.
Some of the proposals the party wishes to make at the anticipated second land conference is that urban plots must be handed out freely, that land owned by absentee owners should be expropriated and that the resettlement programme should be reviewed.
The opposition leader also warned the minister of land reform, Utoni Nujoma, not to “antagonise” others.
“I listened to him [Nujoma] on Otjiherero radio and his message was not that of a leader. He is dealing with a sensitive ministry and should not tell others that they want Bantustans when they say they want their land back,” Venaani said yesterday at a press conference called to address the issue of tribalism.
Venaani said Nujoma's argument was flawed in the sense that the genocide negotiations between the Namibian and German governments could also be construed as “negotiating Bantustan issues” because the genocide matter involved the OvaHerero and Nama people directly.
“How, on the one hand, you are saying that you are addressing the Nama and Herero matter with the Germans, which is a purely tribal historical reality, and yet when the same people say they are denied access to land through the resettlement scheme you say they want Bantustans?” questioned Venaani.
He added: “The language of leadership should be very cautious because the state language is fuelling this arrogance.”
Venaani also took issue with the official explanation for President Hage Geingob's no-show at last November's Damara cultural festival.
The presidential spokesperson, Albertus Aochamub, said Geingob did not attend the event because chief Justus //Garoëb was not a recognised traditional leader of the Damara.
“That is undermining minorities. People have a right to say they are being undermined because the head of state is arguing that you are only his children if you have [official] recognition; without recognition you are not his children,” Venaani said.
He said //Garoëb remained the de facto paramount leader of the Damara people.
“I think it is dangerous politics State House is playing in this country. Let us not think that by undermining those that are numerically smaller in numbers and appeasing those in the majority you appease the country,” Venaani said.
Venaani also cautioned all communities, traditional leaders and especially young people to refrain from fuelling tribalism, and warned particularly the youth from misusing social media to tarnish others.
“We in the DTA cherish the idea that tribes must be harmonised for Namibia to grow. We do not want to kill tribes for Namibia to become a unitary state. Tribes should remain. Blacks, whites and coloureds should remain in the country but we must have a culture of harmony,” he said.
Venaani added: “We are very worried people are being used against one another. We should calm down. This is not the moment to seize to go to war with one another. We must learn to co-exist. But the majority must also learn to be sensitive to minorities in the country.”
CATHERINE SASMAN
ANCESTRAL LAND CLAIMS
Venaani said tribal land demands were genuine because certain groups had been dispossessed, but ancestral land claims would be practically impossible to implement.
“Ancestral land claims are not the big issue. Zimbabwe went this way and contextualised it to mean that all blacks must own land. They have given all land to blacks but Zimbabwe is a disaster.
“Should we go the Zimbabwe way? We cannot. The country has a national character and what we need to do is to marry historical issues and the realities. You have farmers that have bought land, white and young farmers that are farming. We need to think how to intermarry everybody so that we have a national character,” he said.
He said his party strongly opposed a Zimbabwe-style land grab.
“We should draw a narrative that is modern, working and addressing issues to move the country forward. We should think futuristically to maintain the economy but historical facts and realities of the day should be considered to allow competitive farmers, whether white or black, to be able to have a piece of land in the country.”
The DTA suggested a “model policy” for the land issue that would resuscitate the agricultural sector and also address “critical and historical legacies”.
Some of the proposals the party wishes to make at the anticipated second land conference is that urban plots must be handed out freely, that land owned by absentee owners should be expropriated and that the resettlement programme should be reviewed.
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