Bravo Namibians
By REJOICE LUKUMBA
CHEERS to Namibia’s founding president Dr Sam Nujoma, his successor Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba and the Namibian citizenry for teaching “grand-nation Zambia” many political lessons.
After eight months of protracted succession divisions in the Swapo leadership, Namibians put behind personal political ambitions and came together on March 21, 2005 to witness and celebrate the inauguration of their second republican President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
All this time, Swapo has been battling to survive with divisions following serious campaigns by camps of individual presidential hopefuls, including that of Mr Pohamba who was nominated by Dr Nujoma.
Apart from Mr Pohamba, former foreign affairs minister Hidipo Hamutenya and Nahas Angula were also candidates.
Although Mr Hamutenya was dismissed from Dr Nujoma’s administration, Mr Angula stayed on and was appointed the country’s new Prime Minister by President Pohamba.
To many Namibians, Pohamba who is Dr Nujoma’s long-time comrade and right hand man in the struggle for Namibia’s independence was a natural successor to become the country’s second President.
In Ovambo, one of the many dialects in Namibia, Hifikepunye means “you are not my equal” and Pohamba which means “close to be King” made Pohamba 69, realise his dream come true as the meaning of his names aptly state “You are not my equal to be King” was no doubt the chosen man to succeed Dr Nujoma who voluntarily retired after 15 years of service as the founding President.
Zambian politicians, especially opposition leaders should have been in the 20,000 capacity Independence stadium to learn one or two lessons on how the diversity of the Namibian culture turned into a single rhythmic beat of vibrant traditional tunes to celebrate the inauguration of their second republican President which was not the same on January 2, 2002 at President Mwanawasa’s swearing-in ceremony.
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa who was among several invited dignitaries to witness a peaceful handover of power by Dr Nujoma to Mr Pohamba observed that the unity among Namibians was testimony of honourable responsible and a people-centred leadership in the South West African country for 15 years.
Namibians from Oshana, Oshikoto, Kunene, Kavango, Erongo, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Khomas, Hardap and Karas were all present to welcome their new leader into the top office of the land and sung their beautiful national anthem, “Namibia, land of the brave freedom fight. We have won glory to their bravery whose blood waters our freedom. We give our love and loyalty together in unity contrasting beautiful Namibia, Namibia our country. Beloved land of Savannahs, hold high the banner of liberty, Namibia our country, Namibia our motherland, we love thee.”
And true to their national anthem, Namibians are one and veteran Zambian diplomat, Rupiah Banda and retired air commander, General Peter Zuze who served as president of the United Nations Council for Namibia were in the terraces as guests and could not hide their happiness with a myriad of cheered up faces of thousands of Namibians and other invited dignitaries who attended the historic change of power.
“This is wonderful. It is a moving occasion. Unfortunately the history in Zambia was broken. We have never seen this kind of unity and yet we were the pioneers of the independence struggle in Africa. However, we feel proud as Zambians that Namibians and other neighbouring countries have succeeded in maintaining peace and stability,” Mr Banda said.
Indeed Zambian politicians should have been in Windhoek to see the Namibian traditional dancers displaying their diverse culture with men, women, and children dressed in a spectacle of colours of their national flag to symbolize unity in diversity.
It is no wonder that President Mwanawasa and first republican President Kenneth Kaunda joined other African celebrated leaders such as Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Olusegun Obasanjo of Tanzania, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Angola’s Eduardo dos Santos, Botswana’s Festus Mogae, Kings Mswati and Letsie of Swaziland and Lesetho respectively to witness the colourful event.
The unity among Namibians drew the admiration of out of Africa dignitaries, such Brazilian Vice-President Jose Alender Gomes da Silva, Vietnam’s Nguyen Dinh Bin, Democratic People’s Republic Korea Vice-President Yang Hyong Sop, Cuban Vice-President Esteban Hernadez, Denmark’s Tove Dix, Chile’s Margot Honecker, USA’s delegation of Maurice Temelsman, Elombe Brath and Jim Barnes, Andre Kamel from France and Commonwealth secretary general Donald McKinnon who swiftly one after another landed in Windhoek to be part of the celebrants of Namibia’s second largest historic gathering after the March 15, 1990 independence celebrations.
It is with embarrassing regret that none of such dignitaries were present to witness the swearing-in ceremony of President Mwanawasa on January 2, 2002, simply because they feared sporadic violence which were being schemed by some selfish politicians who could not accept electoral defeat after the 2001 general elections.
“I am pleased with what I saw here and I wish we could copy that after every election, we could all be united.
During election campaigns, you can be at each other’s neck but after election we should all be united and support the victor,” said President Mwanawasa shortly before departure at Eros airport for Lusaka after witnessing the inauguration of President Pohamba.
It is true that only a united nation would successfully implement the country’s common objectives and this could be achieved through a two-way reconciliation knowing that a divided society spends most of its valuable time in internal wrangles that could promote failure.
As evidenced in our political parties, including the ruling MMD, internal wrangles have robbed Zambia of its rightful place not only in the Southern African region but on the African map as well.
Zambia’s founding political party UNIP has been riddled with internal leadership wrangle, the same phenomenon was experienced in the biggest but diminishing opposition the United Party for National Development (UPND) when its leader Anderson Mazoka was taken ill and now the MMD leaders are fighting for top positions even before the incumbent has not served his constitutional terms of office.
The ambitions and scramble for power, to be President in State House at all cost is chewing Zambia and very soon the once gold-full pot will be empty. Bravo Namibians!
