NSHR

Dear Mr Ntinda

On 7 July 2010 several members of our family/clan from both side issued a joint statement in which they totally condemned the repugnant and inflammatory statements by you, the editor of the Swapo Party newspaper “Namiba Today”, Mr Asser Ntinda. In your editorial column called “Zoom IN”, Mr Ntinda you falsely and maliciously claimed our “whole family (ezimo alihe)” is “ashamed” of Mr. Ya Nangoloh’s so-called unbecoming behaviour and notorious activities and that “...everywhere he (i.e. Mr Ntinda’s fictitious character called SAJ Nuumbembe and masqueraded as a relative of ours) and every relative went…” we were “ashamed and shunned like dogs with rabies” because of Mr Ya Nangoloh’s so-called unacceptable behavior.
Why did you, Mr Ntinda, choose to target our families/clans (“ezimo alihe”) for your slanderous statements? With whom did you verify those remarks and the sentiments contained therein before you ran to print them, Mr Ntinda? As a “journalist” are you not supposed to act responsibly especially so when whole families/clans are implicated? I guess you were too keen to score cheap political points against your foe of choice that you threw caution and journalistic ethics to the wind?! Are you running out of “ammo” against your chosen sworn enemy? As the saying goes: mettle is dangerous in a blind horse! For this public wholesale character assassination of our families/clans (ezimo alihe) you owe us an apology, Mr Ntinda. We do not NOW and will NEVER go about our lives “ashamed” and “being shunned like dogs with rabies”!

It is as lamentable as it is deplorable that a man who occupies such an influential position in society, such as you, Mr. Ntinda (i.e. a media editor), lacks the judgment to realize that whoever you claim to have spoken to, if any at all, could possibly not have been sanctioned to speak on behalf of our family/clan and/or could possibly not have been expressing the views generally held by the family/clan towards Mr Ya Nangoloh, other than just his own. But since the above person is a fictitious character anyway, we are left with no other choice than to attribute the infamous slanderous statements to yourself, Mr. Ntinda. In this case this is pure conjecture where you, Mr. Ntinda, are purely self-projecting. It is human to differ in families/clans and in society at large and nobody can ever deny that. But we are wise enough to know how to deal and/or live with differences among ourselves, be it personal, political or religious. Kindly take note of that, Mr. Ntinda. We have had enough of hypocrites and pretenders (-in their vain attempts to strengthen their evil intentions) claiming to know how our families/clans “hate” and are “ashamed” of Mr. Ya Nangoloh. Allow us the right to speak for ourselves if and when we wish to do so in public.

As a family/clan, we also categorically reject Mr. Ntinda’s suggestions that our relatives who are employed in public institutions including the Namibian Defense Force, and other governmental departments, should be treated as “dangerous informers” for Mr Ya Nangoloh. This “guilty by association” voodoo political philosophy should be rejected contemptuously by all sober-minded people. In any case, what are they supposedly “informing” Mr Ya Nangoloh about? Unlike you, our government does not harbor sinister ideas against innocent citizens and you know that very well, don’t you?

If Mr Ya Nangoloh was regarded as an enemy and threat to peace and security in this country by our government, we are sure that the Namibian State, based on the rule of law as in enshrined in the Supreme Law of this Land of the Brave, has the legal means and capabilities of dealing with such situations and/or threats. We beg to differ with you, Mr. Ntinda, but media slander of families/clans and not-so-veiled threats of elimination of innocent people are not some of those. This country has a democratic, competent, SWAPO PARTY-led government and a visionary, responsible and accountable leadership. This is not a banana republic, Mr Ntinda! Can you, Mr. Ntinda, kindly tell this nation why Mr. Ya Nangoloh has never been prosecuted in a court of law in this country for his so-called notoriety and subversive activities?

One wonders on whose behalf are you, Mr Ntinda, speaking and/or acting when you say “we”? We are not aware, Mr Ntinda, of your appointment as a spokesperson for the Namibian Defence Force, any state institutions and/or even the SWAPO PARTY for that matter. If you, Mr Ntinda, or anybody else has a personal problem with Mr. Ya Nangoloh, kindly deal with it and sort it out yourself, hopefully within the confines of the law, without hiding behind the Namibian Defense Force, any other state institutions, the SWAPO PARTY or our families/clans. We are sure that Mr Ya Nangoloh is well capable of defending himself and/or his position and/or beliefs within those legal parameters.

The members of the family correctly pointed out that, as members of various religious denominations, such as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Anglican and other churches and political parties, such as the SWAPO PARTY, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), the Congress of Democrats (CoD), the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), the All Peoples’ Party (APP) and the list goes on, we value and respect each others’ affiliations and opinions. Religious and political pluralism is allowed and protected by the laws of the Republic, so we are just practicing what our laws preach. This is democracy at work. There is nothing here for us to be “ashamed of” and to be “shunned like dogs with rabies”. As a matter of fact, our families/clans relationships are not at all based on our memberships and/or non-memberships in the respective political, religious or any other social groupings in this country. Rather, our family relationships, which pre-date political parties and other social groupings, are exclusively based on shared blood. However, in our families/clans we encourage sufficient depoliticization of issues to allow a dynamic social culture in which differences (including political ones) are accepted as part of our daily lives.

Our conduct towards each other is based on mutual respect, tolerance and acceptance of individual preferences, choices and/or opinions, as long as these do NOT violate the laws of the land. This is a free country, Mr Ntinda and, mind you, countless of our members, including Mr Ya Nangoloh himself as an ex-PLAN fighter, just like many members of other families/clans contributed gallantly and selflessly (-so many of our members paid the ultimate price in the process-) to the achievement of the freedom and peace we all enjoy today. We have NO reason whatsoever to go about our lives being “…ashamed and shunned like dogs with rabies…”! Nothing can be further from the truth than that. Mr Ntinda, you have gone far beyond the borders of decency, sanity and dignified behavior. We will never attack or try to implicate your family/clan and/or relatives in your personal, political and/or social activities and/or beliefs. Nothing will make us stoop that low, Mr Ntinda. Dare you take a cue?

Once again, we know how to maturely and soberly deal and or/live with differences among ourselves and you, Mr Ntinda, will be the last person whose advice we would seek, should we need any. It is not your place, Mr Ntinda, to make media statements and/or propaganda on our behalf and/or at our expenses. You are well advised, Mr Ntinda, to leave our families/clans alone and not to try to alienate people who are hostile neither to you as a person nor to the SWAPO PARTY whose mouthpiece you profusely and shamelessly use to propagate your personal sinister agendas. Trying to imply that our families/clans are anti-SWAPO PARTY and government is pure falsehood and malicious label on your behalf, Mr Ntinda. What makes you believe that the power of definition in this country belongs to you? Wise people do not scratch where it does not itch!

The SWAPO PARTY, of which many of us are proud members, and its leadership had noble intentions when they founded “Namibia Today”, which for all intents and purposes (in principle), is to bring to the Namibian people the party’s mission, vision and its progressive developmental programs for today, the future and beyond. “Namibia Today” should be used just for that! Hate speech was never part of it, as it never solves problems or fosters understanding and unity among the people. It is regrettable and unfortunate indeed that one individual uses “Namibia Today” as a spring board to maliciously target our whole families/clans (“ezimo alihe”) and try to bring our good names and reputations into disrepute. Any proud families/clans will stand up in their own defense when such un-called-for aspersions are unceremoniously and indiscriminately cast upon them from any quarters, including from you, Mr Ntinda.

As the family has said, we dearly love and respect our families/clans members including Mr. Phil ya Nangoloh. If and when anyone of them step out of what is legally permissible the law will take its own course. We are proud of them particularly when standing up fearlessly for what they believe in, and especially when it is in favor of the principles of democracy, the rule of law and the respect for the human rights of all without distinction of any kind. Those principles are NOT Mr Ya Nangoloh’s alone, but indeed those are the principles that form the pillars upon which our Namibian Republic is rested. We would salute you too, Mr Ntinda, if you were to stand up in defense of those very same principles! That would not mean that we associate ourselves with your every activity. Do we need to remind you as to who fathered and continues to nurture this beloved republic of ours and its principles, Mr Ntinda? For those principles and ideals we have fought, been killed, maimed, tortured and jailed. For those ideals and principles we will work, live and die. We are patriots, Mr Ntinda!

Finally, I wish to take issue with the denial by you, Mr Ntinda that Mr Ya Nangoloh is not in any way viewed by you or your cohorts as a so-called threat to the peace and stability of this country. It appears that you, Mr Ntinda, do not at all enjoy telling the truth or, in the alternative, you are a highly dishonest person. I am saying this because you, Mr Ntinda, have on numerous occasions wrote defamatory articles against Mr Ya Nangoloh, in some of which you have directly or indirectly called him “a threat to peace and stability”. For example, in your “Zoom In” column published in Namibia Today’s edition of December 18 2009 to January 18 2010, Mr Ntinda, you said and I quote:

“[…] There [are] unscrupulous elements within our society who are busy trying to sow seeds of division, putting the peace and stability that we have enjoyed since independence in jeopardy. […] I am talking about Marx Hamata, Editor of Informante, and Phil Ya Nangoloh, Executive Director of the National Society for Human Rights, NSHR”. End of quote.

Do you deny the remarks quoted above, Mr Ntinda? Perhaps you can explain what the implications of your above statement are? Instigating public hatred against individuals and/or groups such as you are doing to our families/clans is not patriotic at all, Mr Ntinda. It will not make you a national hero. It might serve your myopic personal and/or politics-of-the-belly short-term interests, but it does not serve the bigger, wider long-term national interests. Patriotic people think national, not personal. They are politically farsighted, not myopic and/or dogmatic.

Your public bickering with and/or about Mr Ya Nangoloh has been going on for as long as anyone cares to remember. He has always stood by his own beliefs and has never claimed to speak for and/or on behalf of our families/clans as far as we know. We have never been involved and are NEITHER appreciative of being dragged in by you NOR of your apparent instigations of violence against individuals, just because you are desperate to justify your ignoble dubious intentions. This time, however, you Mr Ntinda have (by dragging us in) gone far beyond sanity that our families/clans are left with no choice but to stand up and defend their honor and dignity!

(PS: Tatekulu Matti Auala has missed the point completely. Protecting one’s honor and dignity and that of one’s family/clan has nothing to do with endorsing their activities. It is culturally a parental responsibility for one to jealously protect one’s children from unprovoked and unwarranted public slander and violence and/or threats of violence and/or instigations of violence towards one or all of them, even if one clearly differs with them politically or does not associate oneself in any way with their activities.”Omukuluntu okwa lya ombinzi nuutsika.” If uncle Auala (being our patrilineal relative) in his wisdom has decided to abdicate his fatherly responsibilities for obvious political expediency or for whatever reason, the honor or dishonor is entirely his. His opinion is respected. It is callous though, that you Mr Ntinda, are quick to mischievously try to make political capital out of uncle Auala’s predicament!)

Haipinge ya Shiweda
Windhoek
19 July 2010