Abstract:
Namibia is praised as one of the most laudable democratic societies in
Sub-Saharan Africa. But it also displays strong tendencies of autocratic political
rule and intolerance with regard to views dissenting from the official ‘patriotic
history’ under the former liberation movement, the South West Africa People’s
Organization (SWAPO of Namibia), since Independence transformed into
SWAPO Party. This article summarises and seeks to explain the underlying
social currents for this situation. By doing so, it also illustrates that a formally
intact democratic system does neither produce a fully democratic political
culture—nor democrats, for that matter. A truly democratic breakthrough for a
pluralist society based on mutual respect despite different political opinions
seems, under the given circumstances of the Namibian society, an unlikely
development in the near future, notwithstanding the good marks the political
system receives in international rankings for African democracies.
