Lawyer in Namibia attacks the Damara tribe
An interest in current affairs shared on social media and two remarks against the Damara tribe have finally drawn the attention of Namibians to a lawyer working for the State.
” Food Bank is a typical Damara mentality thing…begging bowl day after day. It’s disgusting way of living and must end,” Lawyer Eva Nangolo replied to Muchali Mulife’s tweet in support of the measure. But she went a step too far when she boldly proclaimed that “For once, the Damara people are doing something beautiful, cultural identity.”
She was referring to the community’s launch of their cultural dress in a parade that culminated in a ceremony in Windhoek over the weekend. The community has worn the Victorian dress that resembles one worn by Ovaherero women for ages. It appears as though their dress and the Herero one will be set apart by the head gear. Ovaherero have evoled their dress to have a head gear that resembles cattle horns. The Damara dress resembles the original Victorian dress with a more rounded head gear.
Nangolo says the launch has overshadowed the violent image of breaking bottles, knife stabbing, insults and a lack of culture she has come to associate with the Damara poeple. Her latest remarks drew an instant response from Mihe Gaomab, who has condemned them and proceeded to tell her that the Damara and other tribes never went to Ovamboland (her tribal area) to look for work and food. Gaomab has said the other tribes did not go there to occupy land and that the area she hails from does not offer anything to the rest of Namibia..
A trawl of lawyer Eva Nangolo’s social media accounts shows a legal professional who is not shy to share her views. Social media posts running back months show a lawyer with enormous interest in media reports, who doesn’t shy away from sharing her views.
Her accounts show someone who has shared views about every issue from the president of Namibia, judges and lawyers up to person charged with offences testifying in their ongoing trials. Her comment about a January 19 report on laptops allegedly missing from the Electoral Commission of Namibia concludes that there is no accountability at the electoral agency.
However, it is difficult to pin down whether she is a racist. Her tweet of December 2022 involving wedding of a white bride to a black groom shows encouragement and even shows that she encourages it with the believe that it would contribute to ending racism.
But the only two tweets she shared about the Damara show an individual who thinks less of the community. Her first tweet concerned the introduction of food banks to provide impoverished families with food to eat. President Hage Geingob introduced the measure after sporadic reports of families scavenging from dumpsites in Windhoek. The reports had been sporadic, but consistent over the years. Critics said the measure promoted laziness and the beneficiaries as beggars.
The Ministry of Justice has since distanced itself from the remarks and announced that it would rely on the law to deal with her remarks. She is expected to respond to the backlash caused by her tweets.
