The inimitable Namibian columnist Alfredo Hengari is of the opinion that ours is a ‘democracy by accident’. Right he is! And that those at present in power in Namibia would like to repair this accident is obvious.

They yearn for their old ideal of making Namibia an absolute autocracy after the image of those of their best friends, China, North Korea and Cuba – and they are hard at work to make their dreams reality. That it is what we see and hear and that we can even touch in the form of irrelevant monuments erected. And certainly, if we see how many among us are without jobs, without proper health care, shelter and food, if we see the enormous discrepancies of income in Namibia, well, then we have to fear their efforts – they are not too far away from making their dream come true!
Yes, Namibia is a mere paper-democracy. Our ‘liberator’ Swapo never meant it to be a real, well-run democracy. In retrospect, and with our present knowledge, we should evaluate our constitution anew. The ‘executive’ president, even if weak as the present one is, has no alternative than to execute the wishes of his party’s elite – and he does it admirably! The ‘accidental’ corruption of parliament was everything but accidental – it was planned to be that way and so it will stay.
This gives the ruling party the maximum of power; it owns our state president, the executive and the legislative – for what more could any autocrat wish?
Then the party’s order (sic) to exclude everyone, but the party’s elite from the selection process of the successor of the party’s president – which automatically is the state president – is the cherry on the top of the cake. If a party can do that without interference from outside, it can live and rule ‘in eternity.’ All this gives the party the power to rule autocratically in a ‘democracy’ – and Swapo already does so in Namibia. It does in Namibia as the ruling parties of China, North Korea, Russia and Cuba do in their countries. There the majority of the people are hungry, too. Look at the pictures of these poor and so often gaunt people, listen to the stories emerging from there – this will be our future lot too. What will come our way tomorrow, will not come by accident, no Sir! What will come, will come, because it is carefully planned. Please watch my words!

Margaretha N.
Wanaheda