Swapo Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has urged people to stop tribalism and build a Namibia that will bring prosperity to everyone.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said this during the Swapo party’s rally in Omuthiya on Saturday.

She said tribalism forms part of the things that can bring down a country that is trying to develop itself.

“Tribalism and regionalism destroy this country and our lives,” she said.

She said a tribalist person will never have personal peace of mind, which is a status that can affect one’s health and overall wellbeing

“It is true as a nation, we are made up of different ethnic groups, with different cultures and traditions. However, those different cultures and traditions must not be used to divide us but must be our strength,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She referenced the injustice fought against during the liberation, saying that racism had relegated some residents to second-rate citizens, suggesting that tribalism could have similar implications.

“It is even worse when a black person is considered a foreigner in any part of Namibia, when considering that belonging to the dominant tribe group in that specific region,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah, adding that for prosperity for all to be assured, tribalism should be discarded.

“In fact, we are giving an opportunity to those who want Namibia’s resources not to serve our people and will take advantage of our tribal tendencies to divide us further, with the aim of destroying the Swapo party and taking over the country through any group they are able to control, in order to benefit from our resources,” she said.

She said it is more worrisome when the tribal tendencies are growing at a time when strategic resources such as oil and gas are being discovered in Namibia.

“We must safeguard our country by being united for a common purpose, as we are taught by our Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, Dr Sam Nujoma,” she added.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency