Corruption, poverty and tribalism are Namibia’ invisible enemy

While acknowledging the bravery and sacrifice of Namibian heroes during the armed struggle, President Hage Geingob pointed out that the true way of honouring the fallen is to preserve what these men and women fought for.

“In commemorating the bravery of our heroes and heroines on this Heroes Day, let us take time to reflect on what they fought for. Due to their sacrifices, today we are living in a country founded on the principles of effective governance, respect for the rule of law, respect for human life, dignity, and unity. It is one thing honouring our heroes and heroines with statues, monuments, songs and well-articulated tributes, however, if we truly want to honour the memory of our valiant sons and daughters, then the best way to do that is to preserve and build upon the principles they fought for,” Geingob said to the crowds who had gathered at the Kuisebmond stadium.
The event was very well attended by dignitaries and citizens alike, who all gathered to officially commemorate veterans of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Heroes Day is a national public holiday in Namibia, recognized by the United Nations as Namibia Day and is annually celebrated on 26 August. This was the first time that the event was hosted in the Erongo region.
“Every day we witness scores of people who are being killed, while others risk death to flee their countries of birth, never to return again. In Namibia, these nightmare scenarios are a distant memory, and many of our younger generations are unable to relate to such horrible situations,” Geingob noted on the peace and stability Namibia strives to.
The President expressed his concern on problems at hand, referring to them as the enemy. “Unfortunately, today’s enemies are invisible. They have no soldiers or armies and they have no form or shape. These enemies, such as poverty, corruption, and tribalism, coupled with independent intervening variables such as drought and looming energy crisis, cannot be defeated by armies. They can only be defeated through the collective effort of each and every Namibian such as the one displayed by our heroes during the struggle. Therefore, we must all become combatants in this modern day war”.