Attempts by the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) and the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) to demonise and humiliate Namibian President and Swapo Party President Hifikepunye Pohamba are becoming increasingly worrying.

While it may seem remote, the situation in Zimbabwe holds important lessons on political accommodation and tolerance for young democracies like Namibia, the key lesson being that by refusing to accommodate the opposition in a constitutional way, ruling parties can derail democracy and create conditions for often unworkable hybrid governments.