Thursday, June 11, 2009

Senseless genocide

You won't read this story anywhere else in the world. It won't reach western media, except maybe for Germany, as these were two Germans who were killed. It is one of those things that happen in "peaceful Namibia", that no one, including most South Africans, will ever hear about.

Since the year 2000, 21 innocent people were murdered on their farms in Namibia. This may not sound like much, but let me paint you another picture:

Namibia's population is roughly the same as that of western Australia, although the country is about one third the size of WA. (4000 of them are farmers.)

Just imagine 21 people killed within 9 years on farms outside Perth. Just imagine the Police claiming that the murderers are "regular customers", adding that the Police were in possession of their profiles.

Then, imagine everyone in WA just going on with their lives as if nothing bad had happened. Lock up your house, pay your armed response, check your electric fence, and go sleep happily - until you hear that noise in the middle of the night, and you suddenly panic about your wife and your children.

That's the "good life" in Namibia.

Now get this - the chief of Police will not even be publicly taken on about this, neither will he be fired - everybody already knows the Police are useless, and they happily accept this as part of life.

And, it will happen again.

Imagine going to the polls to vote, because this upsets you - but your vote doesn't count, because the majority is quite happy with the genocide that is occurring in the country.

Imagine.

Why am I ranting and raving like this? Because, just every now and then, these things happen to someone you know. Good, decent, Christian people, who worked with me in a squatter camp in Katutura to help build homes for the homeless - they just lost their grandmother. What a reward for all their hard work.

At the time I also believed I was helping to make it a better country - I don't think we succeeded.

No comments: