EDITORIAL: No politician is worth dying for
Last weekend, clashes in Zambezi Region between supporters of an independent candidate and Swapo dragged Namibia back into a past we thought we had left behind - a past where political differences were settled with fists, threats, and intimidation.
Physical violence erupted over ideological disagreements, reminding us that some still confuse loyalty to a party with personal warfare.
No politician is worth losing a tooth, a limb, or a life for. After all, many leaders appearing on the ballot are often driven by parochial gain.
Citizens, however, are the ones who pay the price when political passion spills into the streets. Namibians must think beyond party lines, personalities, and short-term loyalty. Our allegiance should be to the nation first, democracy second, and individual politicians last.
The consequences of such misplaced fervour are stark. Across Africa, elections have turned deadly. In Tanzania, dozens of lives were lost over disputes following Samia Suluhu Hassan’s victory. Namibia cannot afford to follow that tragic trajectory. We must reject the notion that disagreement justifies violence. Democracy is debate, dialogue, and respect - not punching opponents in the mouth.
Supporting a different political party does not make someone less patriotic, or less committed to Namibia’s future. Divergent political views are as natural as personal tastes - whether in football clubs, cars, or cuisine. Democracy thrives on choice, discussion, and compromise, not silencing dissent through intimidation.
Let the Zambezi clashes be a stark warning that politics is about ideas, policies, and governance, not about bleeding for a personality. Namibians must place the country above party, reason above rage, and dialogue above violence.
If we fail, we risk undermining the freedoms that make Namibia a democracy worth defending. Violence must have no place in politics. Namibians first. Politics second. Always.
Physical violence erupted over ideological disagreements, reminding us that some still confuse loyalty to a party with personal warfare.
No politician is worth losing a tooth, a limb, or a life for. After all, many leaders appearing on the ballot are often driven by parochial gain.
Citizens, however, are the ones who pay the price when political passion spills into the streets. Namibians must think beyond party lines, personalities, and short-term loyalty. Our allegiance should be to the nation first, democracy second, and individual politicians last.
The consequences of such misplaced fervour are stark. Across Africa, elections have turned deadly. In Tanzania, dozens of lives were lost over disputes following Samia Suluhu Hassan’s victory. Namibia cannot afford to follow that tragic trajectory. We must reject the notion that disagreement justifies violence. Democracy is debate, dialogue, and respect - not punching opponents in the mouth.
Supporting a different political party does not make someone less patriotic, or less committed to Namibia’s future. Divergent political views are as natural as personal tastes - whether in football clubs, cars, or cuisine. Democracy thrives on choice, discussion, and compromise, not silencing dissent through intimidation.
Let the Zambezi clashes be a stark warning that politics is about ideas, policies, and governance, not about bleeding for a personality. Namibians must place the country above party, reason above rage, and dialogue above violence.
If we fail, we risk undermining the freedoms that make Namibia a democracy worth defending. Violence must have no place in politics. Namibians first. Politics second. Always.
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Namibian Sun
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