EDITORIAL: Citizens’ right to speak up must be jealously protected

In any democracy worth its weight in gold, citizens must have the freedom to express their dissatisfaction – especially when those in power fail to address issues affecting their daily lives. The brief detention of Windhoek activist Shaun Gariseb this week, and the barrage of fines he has consequently been slapped with, raise troubling questions about how authorities handle dissent and whether the right to protest is being respected in practice.True, Gariseb’s protest – dumping sewage waste at the Katutura Municipal office – was dramatic. But it was also a symbolic act highlighting a real and ongoing problem: the poor state of sanitation services in parts of Windhoek. While his method of protest may not have been palatable to everyone, it was an expression of frustration born out of years of neglect. The excessive police response reflects a worrying pattern of heavy-handedness toward individuals who pose no security threat. When the state resorts to intimidation or punitive measures to silence activism, it betrays the very principles of democratic governance and accountability that it claims to uphold.The right to protest, enshrined in Namibia’s Constitution, is not conditional upon whether authorities find a demonstration convenient or ‘appropriate’. It exists precisely to give ordinary citizens a voice when bureaucratic systems ignore them. The state’s duty is not to suppress that voice, but to listen – and to respond to legitimate grievances with empathy and solutions, not handcuffs and fines.Gariseb’s actions should have prompted dialogue about service delivery, not a police chase. The message being sent to citizens is chilling: speak up too loudly and you will be punished. That is a dangerous precedent.Authorities must remember that democracy thrives on engagement, not fear. Law enforcement agencies should act proportionately and with discernment, reserving force for genuine threats only.

EDITORIAL: Citizens’ right to speak up must be jealously protected

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-23

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EDITORIAL: Citizens’ right to speak up must be jealously protected

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-23

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