EDITORIAL: Tone it down, Mr President
President Nangolo Mbumba’s instruction for the country’s armed forces to nip in the bud any incidents of violence, especially as we edge towards elections, is correct - and worrying.
Correct in the sense that, indeed, violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances. But also worrying because, knowing the trigger-happy nature of our men and women in uniform, this could be misconstrued as a licence to shoot. Or worse, to kill.
Frieda Ndatipo, a ‘struggle kid’, was shot dead by police at the Swapo headquarters in 2014 – with impunity. Her killer, contrary to the well-known adage, actually got away with murder. Her crime? Demanding better economic opportunities from her government.
Talent Fambaune, a cab driver from Zimbabwe, was brutally murdered in 2019 by a Namibia Defence Force (NDF) member while on patrol in Windhoek during the infamous ‘Operation Kalahari Desert’. His crime? Trying to avoid a mini roadblock that had been set up by the operation’s members.
In an election year, we expect public officials to be mindful of their tone, while driving home that undeniably important message of maintaining peace and stability.
The security apparatuses have enough blood dripping off their hands. We do not need more dead bodies and potential excuses that they were told by the commander-in-chief to quash voices of dissent – which Mbumba called ‘divisive ideologies’. Namibians don’t have to agree on everything all the time. And those with different ideologies may not be shot in the head like Fambaune.
Correct in the sense that, indeed, violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances. But also worrying because, knowing the trigger-happy nature of our men and women in uniform, this could be misconstrued as a licence to shoot. Or worse, to kill.
Frieda Ndatipo, a ‘struggle kid’, was shot dead by police at the Swapo headquarters in 2014 – with impunity. Her killer, contrary to the well-known adage, actually got away with murder. Her crime? Demanding better economic opportunities from her government.
Talent Fambaune, a cab driver from Zimbabwe, was brutally murdered in 2019 by a Namibia Defence Force (NDF) member while on patrol in Windhoek during the infamous ‘Operation Kalahari Desert’. His crime? Trying to avoid a mini roadblock that had been set up by the operation’s members.
In an election year, we expect public officials to be mindful of their tone, while driving home that undeniably important message of maintaining peace and stability.
The security apparatuses have enough blood dripping off their hands. We do not need more dead bodies and potential excuses that they were told by the commander-in-chief to quash voices of dissent – which Mbumba called ‘divisive ideologies’. Namibians don’t have to agree on everything all the time. And those with different ideologies may not be shot in the head like Fambaune.
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