Dear Editor

Allow me space to express myself about our Parliament that is the National Assembly.

It is very disappointing that a peal where laws are supposed to be made; proposed, tabled, enacted, amended and or replaced has become a boring, embarrassing, self-praising and laughable platform. I can even argue that, sometimes it becomes worst than the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) radio talk show, the ordinary people’s parliament.
How on earth can I, as a voter and taxpayer, digest what I used to hear, see and read about Namibia’s representatives? Just make me understand the following:
Members of Parliament who faithfully turned up for the Thursday, June 25, 2009 for the regular session in the National Assembly were frustrated once again, when for the second time that week others stayed away and stopped proceedings.
The same happened again on the following Wednesday afternoon when MPs were sent home after an obligatory wait of 30 minutes. The MPs who were conspicuously absent were from the Ministerial benches.
This same problem has been witnessed previously. For how long are we going to tolerate this notorious absenteeism without leave (AWOL)? We are still paying for these MPs at our own risk.
When we started to speak out against this heinous evil, our popular freedom of expression platform on NBC radio, Chat Show, was reduced to nothing (banned). As if that was not enough, the very same people we put in power to make laws are initiating the draconian laws or proposals that are against the most basic human rights and freedoms.
Early this year when President Hifikepunye Pohamba was making his annual State of the Nation Address, barely 10 minutes into his speech, many of the MPs, including his senior ministers, Cabinet members, were observed sleeping.
Some are even having the audacity to defend their laziness or “boredom, old age and sickness”. Why have they still not resigned? What some of them are good at is voting out the motions tabled by MPs from opposition or defend their parties’ interests.
Mr. President for how long are we going to be taken for a ride by the very same people whom we elected to be our servants?
The nation has long been waiting for the amendment of the Electoral Act of 1992 so that the counting of votes can take place at the polling stations to avoid the suspicious transportation of ballot boxes with uncounted votes to the centres.
Why are the ministers, who are at the same time lawmakers, sitting on these proposals? Can President Pohamba reign in and call these ministers to order? It is shocking that instead of having laws enacted that allow the votes to be counted at polling stations and allow citizens to get information from public offices, we are now haunted by a “Spy Bill”. What have we done wrong to be spied on, Mr. President?
Worst still the recent demand by MPs that convicted rapists should be castrated, when debating a motion on gender-based violence, is tantamount to a Kangaroo court’s punishment.
I wonder whether castration of abusive men and women would solve any problem. This is in direct defiance of the Namibian Constitution, Article 8 (2) (b) that states: “No persons shall be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. This Article, in Chapter 3 does not say “All persons expect rapist men and abusive women”. What kind of lawmakers we have entrusted our lives on?
The MPs were supposed to be busy finding answers to the following questions: Why are men raping women? Why are women abusing men? The MPs were supposed to go further and debate how the social evils i.e. poverty corruption, discrimination, intolerance, diseases and unemployment are contributing to gender-based violence. There is an element of disillusion among the poor people due to frustration caused by lack of basic necessities.
I am now worried of observing the similarity between what the MPs are demanding, castration, and what the former President Sam Nujoma has uttered in Ohangwena Region while addressing a Swapo Party rally. Nujoma was reported to have threatened “criminals” who rape women and children” to have their “throats slit”. He was also quoted as saying some foreigners and Namibians are to be given “bullets in their heads (and or) buried alive” while new churches were “false” and “misleading” the people.

S. Eino
Oshikoto Region