Staff Writer
The Reconciliation and Reconstruction Agreement between the Namibian government and its German counterpart, is now headed for Parliament this week.
It seems a fait accompli that the agreement will sail through the National Assembly given the Swapo majority in this house. Following Vice President, Nangolo Mbumba’s national address last Friday, the agreement is now bound for the National Assembly this week which resumes its session tomorrow. Albeit Mbumba this is after passing and stopping at the Office of the General Assembly.
This is worrying some members of the affected communities, notably among them former Member of Parliament, Usutuaije Maamberua, fearful that the agreement would be steamrolled by Swapo given its majority in the National Assembly. Maamberua was this morning a studio guest on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s Omurari Wondjivisiro Ombaranga, the Otjiherero Language Service’s current affairs programme, Keetute. He says a majority of the Ovaherero and Nama affected communities have already through their various representative bodies, among them their various and respective traditional leaders, as well as political parties with notable if not majority support and following among
these communities, rejected the agreement. But while that being the case the National Assembly is bound to rubberstamp the agreement when it comes before it.
Albeit Maamberua, who have submitted a petition against the agreement to the National Assembly, as well as writing an Open Letter to the Head of State, Swapo MPs, given their majority in the house, are in all likelihood to rubberstamp the agreement, despite the fact the majority of them are not t from the affected communities of the Ovaherero and Nama. This would be against the best sentiments, wishes and desires of the affected communities as has lately been amply demonstrated by the groundswell opposition and rejection of the agreement.
This is in addition to the fact that already a notable section of the Ovaherero and Nama, all along since the inception of the negotiations in 2015, as a matter of principle, have been distancing themselves from the negotiations and have not been part of them. Lately some traditional leaders of the Ovaherero, notably, Manasse Zeraeua and Tjinaani Maharero, have also “vehemently and unequivocally” rejected the agreement. Other leaders of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu like Sam Kambazembi of the Kambazembi Traditional Authority; Aletha Nguvauva of the Ovambanderu Traditional Council; Turimuro Hoveka of the Hoveka Traditional Authority; and Hijangungo Kapia of the Zeraeua Traditional Authority, who also all along have not been part of the negotiations, have as yet to express themselves on the latest developments. But it is less likely
now that many have rejected the agreement, including those in the Botswana and South African Diaspora, as well as the international community, including global news networks, that they would change tune and gladly embrace it.
Among the political parties with notable support and following among the affected communities of the Ovaherero and Nama joining the chorus of rejecters lately, is the President of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani, adding their voice to others like the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), and Leader and Chief Change Campaigner of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Bernadus Swartbooi. Swartbooi in a televised broadcast posted on social media, added his voice to an earlier rejection of the agreement by the party’s Spokesperson, Joyce Mujengua.
