EDITORIAL: Damaseb must not become Tanzania’s credibility shield

There is a point at which solidarity between liberation movements becomes an impediment to principle.

Namibia and Tanzania share a proud history. Tanzania gave sanctuary, training and diplomatic support to the Namibian liberation struggle, and those bonds should never be forgotten. But neither should they become a permanent diplomatic blindfold.

That is why the appointment of Namibia’s Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb to Tanzania’s Commission of Inquiry into Criminal Offences deserves much more scrutiny than it has received.

The Judicial Service Commission has defended his nomination, citing his seniority and extensive judicial and administrative experience.

But already, Tanzanian voices have already publicly questioned the participation of Damaseb and Ugandan judge Barishaki Bonny Cheborion. Those concerns may or may not be fair. But they illustrate precisely why Namibia should be cautious.

Damaseb is not an obscure Namibian jurist who can participate in a foreign assignment without consequence at home. He is Namibia’s deputy chief justice and judge president of the High Court. 

In other words, Damaseb is not merely representing himself. His presence inevitably carries the institutional weight of Namibia’s judiciary. And that creates a danger.

If the commission produces findings that are perceived by large sections of Tanzanian society as exonerating the government, Damaseb's name will be attached to those findings. If it produces findings that are seen as politically convenient, his reputation could be dragged into that controversy. Even if he conducts himself impeccably, the mere association could leave a stain on his name.

Namibia has spent 36 years cultivating the image of a constitutional democracy with an independent judiciary. That reputation is an asset worth protecting. 

The wiser course would be for Namibia to reconsider the appointment - or, at the very least, for Damaseb to carefully consider whether his participation is worth the reputational risk.