EDITORIAL: Amupanda’s gun politics a misfire in leadership
Professor Job Amupanda’s gun-toting antics on social media last week ignited more than just chatter. They reopened a conversation about leadership, responsibility and the blurred line between political bravado and reckless behaviour.
The timing of his display – barely a day after being manhandled by parliamentary security – left little room for interpretation. Even if one generously assumes the pistol flashed on his widely followed social media platforms was not a veiled threat, the optics alone were damning. In a country battling rising levels of gun violence, such conduct was tone-deaf at best.
This was not a casual snapshot of a hunting trip. It was a suggestive performance. The unspoken message to many was clear: \'I am no coward; handle me at your peril\'. For a politician, let alone one who has carved out a reputation as a future leader, that is a deeply troubling stance.
Yes, Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila acted hastily, perhaps even recklessly, in ordering security to forcibly eject Affirmative Repositioning lawmakers from parliament. Reports suggest she did not exhaust more measured avenues before resorting to brute force. Her decision deserves scrutiny. But Amupanda’s answer to overreach cannot be to brandish a weapon, even symbolically. Leadership requires restraint, not escalation.
He had already won the court of public opinion. His ordeal in parliament drew widespread solidarity from Namibians across the political divide, who saw in him not only a victim of heavy-handedness but also a defender of democratic principle.
That goodwill should have been consolation enough – and more than sufficient ammunition.
By resorting to the language of intimidation, however subtly, Amupanda risks squandering that moral high ground. Namibia does not need leaders who appear ready to trade politics for pistols. We need people who can absorb provocation and still choose the harder path of peace.
The timing of his display – barely a day after being manhandled by parliamentary security – left little room for interpretation. Even if one generously assumes the pistol flashed on his widely followed social media platforms was not a veiled threat, the optics alone were damning. In a country battling rising levels of gun violence, such conduct was tone-deaf at best.
This was not a casual snapshot of a hunting trip. It was a suggestive performance. The unspoken message to many was clear: \'I am no coward; handle me at your peril\'. For a politician, let alone one who has carved out a reputation as a future leader, that is a deeply troubling stance.
Yes, Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila acted hastily, perhaps even recklessly, in ordering security to forcibly eject Affirmative Repositioning lawmakers from parliament. Reports suggest she did not exhaust more measured avenues before resorting to brute force. Her decision deserves scrutiny. But Amupanda’s answer to overreach cannot be to brandish a weapon, even symbolically. Leadership requires restraint, not escalation.
He had already won the court of public opinion. His ordeal in parliament drew widespread solidarity from Namibians across the political divide, who saw in him not only a victim of heavy-handedness but also a defender of democratic principle.
That goodwill should have been consolation enough – and more than sufficient ammunition.
By resorting to the language of intimidation, however subtly, Amupanda risks squandering that moral high ground. Namibia does not need leaders who appear ready to trade politics for pistols. We need people who can absorb provocation and still choose the harder path of peace.
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