The Windhoek Observer has watched Namibian elections for decades. We have seen the rise and fall of political giants, the birth of new movements, and the ever-shifting theatre of campaign rhetoric. But every so often, something happens that forces us to pause, not because it is surprising, but precisely because it is not. It is depressingly familiar. It is predictable. And it is dangerous.
This week, reports emerged from Keetmanshoop that Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi and independent candidate Vernon Coleman became entangled in a confrontation that escalated into physical violence. What began, as these things often do, with verbal jabs and political antagonism descended into an actual physical altercation. a line that, once crossed, changes the dynamics of political competition entirely.
Let us be clear: political contestation is not the problem. Namibia’s democracy thrives on robust debate and energetic participation. But what we witnessed in Keetmanshoop is not democratic vibrancy; it is democratic decay. And what is even more troubling, what should infuriate every citizen who still believes in our constitutional democracy, is the deafening silence from the very institutions mandated to protect the integrity of our elections and the safety of our citizens.
Where is the Namibian Police Force?
Where is the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)?
Where are the voices that should be sending a clear, unambiguous message that violence, whether verbal or physical, has no place in an election?
Instead, we hear nothing. Not a warning. Not a condemnation. Not an assurance that such behaviour will not be tolerated. The quiet is not just embarrassing; it is dangerous. Silence from those entrusted with upholding the law sends one message: Do as you please; we are not watching.
History, here and around the world, teaches us that public unrest rarely emerges from monumental events. It ignites from the small things, from a shove, from a slur, from an insult, from someone spitting in another person’s face. That is how communal tempers rupture. That is how riots begin. That is how elections become battlegrounds instead of democratic exercises.
Those entrusted with safeguarding public order should know this better than anyone. So why, then, do they say nothing? Why do they allow these sparks to fly freely in a political environment already saturated with tension, high emotions and mistrust?
Namibians are not fools. We know political theatre when we see it. And that is all this is: the great distraction. It happens every election cycle: manufactured chaos, staged confrontations, inflammatory speeches, and personal insults hurled not to inform or persuade voters but to rile them up, to divert their attention from the real issues.
High unemployment.
Escalating cost of living.
Youth hopelessness.
Water scarcity.
Urban land shortages.
An education system in crisis.
A health system stretched to breaking point.
But instead of offering solutions to these pressing matters, too many political actors would rather give us a circus act. A sideshow. A spectacle designed to draw eyes to the drama instead of to the ballot. Drama is easier than accountability.
And while politicians perform, the institutions that should referee the process sit quietly on the sidelines.
The ECN has an obligation, not a favour, not an option, but an obligation, to safeguard the integrity of the electoral environment. That includes speaking out when political actors endanger peace and stability. It includes ensuring that candidates do not intimidate one another. It includes guaranteeing that elections happen in an atmosphere free of fear and coercion.
The police, too, have a responsibility to uphold the law without fear or favour. Political leaders are not above the law, not in theory, and certainly not in practice. A violent confrontation is a police matter, not a political spectacle. Their silence communicates that political elites are untouchable.
We refuse to accept that.
Namibia is not a country where violence should determine political outcomes. We are not a country where fear should determine how citizens participate in elections. We are not a country where institutions shrink in the face of obvious wrongdoing. Or at least, we should not be.
So this is our message, both to the authorities and to the public:
Wake up.
Pay attention.
Do not allow yourselves to be distracted.
Do not let political theatrics pull your focus away from the real issues that this election must address. Do not become a spectator to the drama when you should be an active participant in shaping Namibia’s future. And do not fall for the illusion that these fights, these verbal attacks, these physical altercations are signs of strength. They are not. They reveal political weakness, desperation and a lack of substantive ideas.
As the Windhoek Observer, we call on:
The ECN is to issue an immediate public statement on the incident, outline what steps will be taken, and reaffirm its commitment to maintaining peaceful elections.
The Namibian Police: to investigate the incident impartially and communicate clearly to the public how political violence will be handled going forward.
Political parties and candidates; to remember that leadership is not measured by who shouts the loudest or who pushes the hardest. It is measured by who can inspire without intimidation.
And most importantly, we call on citizens to keep their eyes on the issues that matter, not the distractions that politicians throw in their path.
Namibia deserves better than this circus.
Namibia deserves maturity, accountability and peace.
Namibia deserves leaders, not performers.
Let us refuse to be distracted. Let us demand better. Let us defend our democracy, not with noise, but with vigilance.
