PAUL T. SHIPALE
I. Prologue: A tit for tat
From April 1, 2025, Namibia started to implement a reciprocal visa policy, requiring nationals from 32 countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, to obtain a visa for entry, as these countries haven’t reciprocated visa-free access for Namibian citizens. In this regard, a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security on Thursday, 27 March 2025, indicated that since the launch of the e-visa on arrival portal and the visa on arrival application form on 3 March 2025, a total of 10 016 visa applications have been successfully processed.
However, according to the Ministry’s ED, in a move to strengthen bilateral relations, the Cabinet has granted the ministry the authority to exempt holders of diplomatic passports from Germany and France from visa requirements. “Additionally, holders of diplomatic and official passports from the Republic of Switzerland will also be exempted from visa requirements. This decision is a reciprocal gesture aimed at fostering closer ties with these nations,” he said.
Thus, Namibia’s new visa policy is based on the principle of reciprocity, meaning that if a country requires Namibians to obtain a visa, then nationals of that country will also be required to obtain a visa to enter Namibia. By implementing this policy, Namibia aims to ensure equitable diplomatic relationships and potentially increase revenue for the state coffers.
The question is; will Namibia’s new visa policy backfire and will this tit-for-tat strategy place Namibia on equal footing, or could it have negative repercussions?
Namibia’s new visa policy is set to give Western states a taste of their own medicineas reciprocity has not materialized, the Namibian government feels it would only be fair and equal to Namibians to have the same kind of policy as we are being subjected to.
For decades, Namibia has hoped for reciprocal visa-free entry, particularly with developed countries. However, while citizens from countries like Germany can enter Namibia without a visa for stays up to 90 days, Namibians still face a lengthy process if they wish to enter Germany.
In July last year, the UK tightened its visa policy for Namibians, citing a large number of asylum applications. This move may have been the final straw that broke the camel’s back for Namibia to adopt a different approach toward countries that refuse to reciprocate visa-free entry, according to Gitta Paetzold, the CEO of the Hospitality Association of Namibia.
Many view this new policy as an example of Namibia asserting itself, garnering significant attention as a result. Visa regimes around the world overwhelmingly favour citizens of wealthy countries, especially Westerners. This state of affairs is a reflection of the influence the West wields over developing countries. Insisting on the principle of reciprocity is one way to address this imbalance of power on the global stage.
The decision to introduce reciprocal visas may be seen by some as a bold move, but in reality, it is a necessary step towards achieving the respect and recognition that our countries deserve. It is time to prioritise sovereignty over convenience and ensure that our nations are treated with the same regard that we extend to others.
II. Literature review: The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic (VCDR) and Consular Relations (VCCR)
This is in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (hereinafter, VCDR), alongside the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (hereinafter, VCCR), which present the very essence of diplomatic and consular law, as well as of diplomatic theory and practice. Both conventions were adopted and put into force 64 years ago – the VCDR in 1961 (61 signatories) and ratified in 1964 (192 ratifications), and the VCCR in 1963 (49 signatories) and ratified in 1967 (182 ratifications). It is fascinating to see how few international legal documents have since received the unprecedented number of ratifications, and how few are being accepted, respected, and implemented universally.
Vattel, the author of the great classical writings on diplomatic law, Le Droit des gens, posits that the convention allows a sovereign and non-sovereign State the right to conduct diplomatic relations. “Diplomatic relations define how countries communicate and maintain contact, akin to having a phone number for another country. They are crucial for peaceful problem-solving and refer to the permanent communication between sovereign countries in international law. When countries establish diplomatic relations, they exchange ambassadors or other representatives as official communication channels. Embassies and consulates are often established in each other’s countries to facilitate diplomatic relations and provide assistance to citizens travelling abroad.” This permanent contact and communication are primarily governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 (VCDR).
III. The case of South Africa
Ambassadorial appointments can be terminated for various reasons. One common reason is when an ambassador fails to fulfil their duties or represents their country poorly. In such cases, the government may choose to terminate the appointment and replace the ambassador with someone who can better represent the interests of the country. Another reason for termination could be due to political reasons.
For instance, Former President Thabo Mbeki said he was not surprised by Ibrahim Rasool’s dismissal from US as Ambassador of South Africa. He said Rasool was not supposed to talk negatively about the host country. He further stressed that the role of the ambassador is to represent the country and assist in addressing the differences between the countries involved, and strengthen relations. Mbeki was addressing students at UNISA, discussing a range of global issues in Pretoria.
He said the host country can also reject an ambassador nominated by their country. “The matter of ensuring that there are good relations is critically important as an ambassador. You are allowed what is a policy position. You can’t go around expressing negative opinions about your host. Ebrahim Rasool is an old friend of mine and a comrade but in this instance, he made a mistake. He said things about his host president. When I saw this I was not surprised because practically you make an assessment of your host president,” Mbeki said.
Ebrahim Rasool, the ex-South African ambassador to the USA, was expelled for comments he made on a webinar. “The supremacist assault on incumbency, we see it in the domestic politics of the USA, the Maga movement, the Make America Great Again movement, as a response not simply to a supremacist instinct, but to very clear data that shows great demographic shifts in the USA in which the voting electorate in the USA is projected to become 48% white,” Rasool said in the talk.
The US President issued an executive order last month cutting all funding to South Africa, alleging its government is supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran, and pursuing anti-white policies at home. Rasool was declared persona non grata by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, in a post on X on 14 March. Rubio said Rasool was a “race-baiting politician” who hates the US and Trump.
In his talk, Rasool spoke in academic language of the Trump administration’s crackdowns on diversity and equity programmes and on immigration, and mentioned the possibility of a US where white people soon would no longer be in the majority.
The talk was coming after weeks of pressure on South Africa from Washington over a controversial land law that resulted in the US cutting off funding to the country. The US government alleged that South Africa’s white minority was being unfairly targeted. An allegation robustly refuted by the government in Pretoria. In Rasool’s view he thought that President Trump was “mobilising a supremacism” and trying to “project white victimhood as a dog whistle” as the white population faced becoming a minority in the US. On his return to South Africa, he said he stood by those comments and characterised them as merely alerting intellectuals and political leaders in South Africa that the US and its politics had changed.
The comments resulted in sharply divided opinions locally and internationally over whether he was walking a “fine line” as a diplomat in giving an “honest assessment” or “crossed a line” that no ambassador should cross.
Rasool expulsion sparked a diplomatic divide which hardened SA attitudes against Trump’s US. This may be the start of a major shift in attitudes that could persist for many years. The former President Mbeki said South Africa should send a message that it is not looking for enemies, but is willing to work with all nations.
Iv. Epilogue
As is well known, both in international relations and most school playgrounds, the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them. Otherwise, they will keep extorting things from you.
Comparatively speaking, in the case of Namibia, it was reported that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is contemplating that some of the senior ministers who did not make the parliamentary cut should prepare to become ambassadors and higher commissioners.
I have no doubt that, having served as the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for many years, she has the necessary experience in the diplomatic field and as a student of international relations she is best placed to appoint the right people to represent our country abroad. Hopefully, the ambassadors who will be appointed will not commit the same blunder that was committed by the former South African ambassador to the USA.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will also probably have to appoint a new Chief of Protocol and hopefully she will choose from among those who have served in the department of protocol in the ministry for many years. We still don’t know if the President will also appoint new Presidential Advisors or keep those who served under the Late President Geingob and former President Nangolo Mbumba.
However, what is puzzling is that despite the fact that the term of office of the former Cabinet Ministers came to an end on the 21st March 2025, the former Minister of the Presidential Affairs is still seen around the current President, including attending meetings with foreign dignitaries. One cannot help but ask whether she is been considered for an appointment? In that case, why was there no announcement to this effect, instead of her attending meetings and accompanying the President? The same applies to the Director General of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS), Benedict Likando, as he was not mentioned at the appointment of Cabinet Ministers, the Attorney General and the Director General of the National Planning Commission. Fortunately, Presidential Spokesperson Alfredo Hengari clarified that Likando remains in his position as Director General of NCIS. All in all, I just hope the President will play her cards wisely with these last appointments.
Speaking of the term of office, one wonders what will happen to the legacy of the Late Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, H.E. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma? Is there anyone worthy enough to fit into his shoes and occupy his Office or will it be turned into a museum as it happened to the offices of other Founding Presidents such as Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Dr. António Agostinho Neto of Angola and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania? Against this background, why not allow for an extension for the Office to function while the Government and the Sam Nujoma Foundation are looking for a viable and permanent solution on the legacy of the Founding President and his Office instead of recalling his entire fleet and trying to close his Office in less than a month after his burial at Heroes’ Acre?
Lest we forget, Founding President Nujoma was among the last surviving Frontline Heads of State such as Dr. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and South Africa’s first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela. As such, he is indeed the last man standing as somebody who personified more than anybody else our country’s liberation struggle history and independence and entered in the pantheon of luminary leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement and the annals of history together with other African leaders. When the battleship seemed lost at sea, he was our compass, pointing us in the right direction. “When the incessant waves of the storm seemed insurmountable, he was the captain at the wheel, keeping the ship sturdy. When things became wayward, he was our rudder, steering us towards the shores, where the promise of independence was waiting for us”, said the Late President Hage Geingob. I just hope that we will follow in his footsteps and preserve his legacy for generations to come. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of my employer and this newspaper but solely my personal views as a citizen.
