Africa-Press – Namibia. NAMIBIANS can no longer afford that excessive volume of abused social media platforms distort reality and thereby exclude the reasonable majority from the national dialogue on matters of national importance, because of insult and injury by a few who have more issues than solutions of effort.
The shouting match between Namibian extremists of the far left preaching anarchy and regime change and the far right ultra conservative and religious fundamentalists, drown out the voices of reason. They have more in common that they dare to consider and mostly turn on each other at every opportunity.
The vast majority of reasonable citizens and democratically elected leaders should not allow themselves to be seduced into self-doubt about Covid-19 by the extreme hysterics and remind themselves of their duty that might sometimes not agree with the weak and vulnerable.
To know what Namibians needs most in difficult times is to get of keyboards and out of cars and engage those that we see clearly need empathy, hope and encouragement.
After nearly two years and in spite of the staggering advancement of various new and innovative social media groups and platforms, those with all the facts are walking with the same lamp as those without facts.
What is not in dispute is that Namibians died in their thousands and that vaccinations are politically weaponised by the same crew whose Facebook followers are higher than their IQ.
The concern about human rights preventing mandatory vaccination is misplaced and can even be questioned as an infringement of the human rights of the rest of Namibians who have a right to be protected by their authorities, whether they are parents, employers or the government.
Those Namibians who have not contracted Covid-19 yet do have their own superpower and misplaced invincibility and blessings to thank, but must thank those ordinary everyday Namibians who wear their masks, sanitise and keep their social distance and walk from door to door to seek employment.
They do their duty as citizens and comrades, while the anti-vaccination rebels not only put the nation and its recovery at risk, but have the additional advantage that they will receive the most special care from health workers in the Intensive care Units (ICUs), while the majority of vaccinated Namibians might suffer a health calamity and will find no place in the ICU that is overpopulated by the unvaccinated.
The bitter irony is that Namibia has an excellent recovery record for near fatal Covid-19 casualties and the unvaccinated will get out of their beds after defeating the angel of death and will get vaccinated, while another family will grief at the graveside of a vaccinated loved one who could not get the intensive care he or she deserved.
The inequality and the failure of duty is the great injustice where the reckless gets another change and the obedient no chance. It cannot be right and Namibians must reject the social media trigger with contempt.
If duty and spontaneous care and conscience fails to protect fellow Namibians, it is time for the law and regulation to coerce, because there are those that only listen when they “feel like it.”
To ask people to act responsibly is futile, because although the vast majority of Namibians are responsible, there are those who just cannot be responsible. The prisons and police cells are evidence of repeat offenders. The president, Dr Hage Geingob, is right. Namibians should do their duty.
In this regard, businesses will not be within their right, but will be doing their duty to insist on mandatory vaccination to keep their workers and the the public safe, because to restart the economy, the nation must be healthy.
The private sector should take the lead and those who refuse to get vaccinated without valid medical reason should bear the consequences of which the least is death, either by the virus or a slower death by unemployment and poverty, simply because of not acknowledging one’s duty and the right to life.
Mandatory vaccination is not a show of force. To save another life, every person must sacrifice a right and a privilege as a duty and command of conscience to add to the dignity and safety of the weak and vulnerable. That time is now!
