A Response to the Reactionary NANSO KREC

Within the character and orientation of the national student’s movement, there has been for too long a time, fallacious, semantic and dogmatic, mistakes and blunders that have been an accepted culture that should be addressed and exposed, so as to rescind and relegate such conceptual faults and distortions, misinterpretations and misapplications and lack of political foresight to the dustbins of history.

Yesterday, the 27th July, in the afternoon, the Namibia National Students Organization (NANSO), Khomas Regional Executive Committee (KREC) released an unscientific, uninspiring, intellectually lazy and unpolished five seconds pedestrian statement, in response to counter and deter a constitutionally mobilized Annual Branch Conference informed by article 15 (9) (d), from ongoing at the University of Namibia (UNAM), main campus.

It is therefore, the chief purpose of this cogent perspective to provide sober clarity, political and constitutional education, so as to lay at bay uncontrollable ambitions, ego’s, attitudes, opinions and intellectually lazy pedestrian positions, contradictions and inconsistencies best characterized as reactionary, divisionary, opportunistic tendencies, and utterances that have disparaged the image and reputation of the very national students’ movement.

Introductions

First and foremost, NANSO is a revolutionary militant and radical socialist national students’ movement and as per its preamble:

organized to ensure unity of purpose and action; determined to promote and provide for equal opportunities for all students at various institutions of learning in Namibia and elsewhere regardless of nationality, ethnic origin, gender, political affiliation, (dis)ability status, social and economic status; determined to promote Education for development; committed to the principles of democratic governance and unity among all students across the country; desirous of creating a conducive environment for the governance of student affairs in a coordinated and transparent manner, and; thus resolving to guarantee respect to educational laws both at national and international level and the protection of rights of students across the country under these laws; Therefore, hereby constitute the Namibia National Students’ Organization (NANSO) and accept this Constitution as the basic fundamental law governing the conduct of affairs of all the Students across the whole territory of the Republic of Namibia.

It this very same supreme document that gives birth to various forms of organizational structures, which makes provision for national, regional and branch committees and conferences with a different but yet complementary conceptual characteristics. By these, NANSO is characterized and represented by branches, across the country, within all 14 regions, in different secondary schools and tertiary education institutions. More so, the immense contribution of NANSO’s influence, and participation of the movement as a key player in the anti-colonial and anti- apartheid struggle cannot be emphasized.
On KREC Rhetoric and its Constitutional Bankruptcy
Yesterday, for the first time ever in the history of NANSO, KREC in the form of its pseudo-leader and reactionary who imagines himself super revolutionary, secretary Shoki Kandjimi uttered a ludicrous proclamation as follows:
There is a message circulating that has come to my attention that is illegitimate…... As per the constitution only KREC may organize Branch Elections. According to my understanding, KREC has not organized any UNAM Nanso Branch Elections. All the Unam students must distance themselves from illegal branch elections or any activities not organized by KREC. Should these elections take place my office will nullify them immediately!!
This rhetorical and constitutionally bankrupt statement that has no legal basis, was posted on the NANSO KREC Facebook group, without at first having made any necessary attempt to engage the coordinators of the Branch Conference nor seek constitutional wisdom and inspiration. It is perhaps important to put on record that KREC has no constitutional powers to organize branch conferences, see below article 15 (9) (d)!

KREC is not the regulatory mother of Branch conferences and committees but the sister, for the big brother is but the National Executive Committee, all mothered and fathered by the National Students Congress (NSC) and the General Students Council (GSC). And if this has been the case, then it has been a wrong practice that needs to be done away with for branches ought to be independent organs, and in absence of autonomy the election process facilitated by KREC becomes a conflict of interest making it easier for the leadership to highjack the conferences to advance shallow interest and settle political scores. 
The existence of branches is informed by article 15 (9) on Annual Branch Conference which states that:
a)   The ABC shall meet once every year.
b)  The ABC shall discuss and adopt programs of action pertaining to the branch and elect the BEC.
c)    The ABC shall be convened by the Branch Executive Committee (BEC).
d)   An extraordinary branch conference shall be convened if requested by (2/3) majority of the members constituting a branch. The requisition for an extraordinary branch conference shall be communicated to the BEC accompanied by a statement setting out the reasons for such a requisition. 
e)   NANSO branches can affiliate to democratic structures on campuses or at schools, preferably in consultation with the REC and the NEC
It is indeed evident that KREC is challenged in the application and interpretation the constitution this can only be informed by ignorance, arrogance and unchecked ambition. The only powers with regards to ABC vested in KREC is articulated on page 20, of the constitution, article 15 (5) on Branches, which states that:
(5) The members of the organization at any educational institution have the right to form a branch, subject to approval by the REC, in consultation with the NEC
This means then that, only in the formation of a branch where there existed none, can KREC intervene. Going forward, the NANSO UNAM Branch has been in existence on campus for more than 15 years, it never requires the services of KREC therefore to conduct elections. But to revert back to the aforementioned article 15 (9) (e), NANSO UNAM branch has been affiliated with a democratic structure on campus, in this case the University of Namibia, Students Representative Council (SRC) guided by its constitutions and by laws, within the office of the Dean of Students and its agency the Electoral Commission, that facilitates all society elections on campus.
Therefore the constitution is the supreme law and bible which guides NANSO, is above and by far beyond any personal fortunes and misfortunes of individuals or particular sections. Hence the legitimacy of any position, principle should always should always be informed and inspired by constitutional principles.
On the NANSO UNAM Branch
Within the broader structures of NANSO and as informed by its constitution and all its complementary policy documents is the UNAM Branch that is at the center of this discussion. As per its profile, the NANSO UNAM Branch is a radical and militant student-run movement for all students at the University of Namibia; mandated to pursue the radical transformation of higher education aiming towards free quality education for all; to advocate the interests of all students and bridge a relationship between all students and community struggles; to advocate for progressive academic research excellence; participate and support relative campaigns and programs all within the ambit of an intellectual ideological discourse.
The Branch will exist, which will always aim at creating a culture of hosting distinguished speakers from business sectors, agencies, diplomatic establishments and voluntary sectors; to help members with career prospects after graduation; regularly engage with NANSO Alumni and hosting networking events, to provide its members and general students at large opportunities to gain valuable career advice; to support its members academically by offering general knowledge workshops, social events, while consistently delivering opportunities for its members to enhance their student experience during their time at the University by working with academics, other societies and holding talks and conferences, harnessing students' ideas whilst also inspiring new ones so as to advance the student struggle and participate in leadership structures to lead debate, to advocate and influence management to adopt student oriented policies informed by key NANSO guiding policies documents and resolutions. 

In essence, NANSO has been dedicated to providing public forums for all kinds of discussion, aiming to expand horizons as far as it relates to education.

 On the Dissolution of NANSO UNAM Branch
Furthermore, we dismiss the position by KREC that the NANSO UNAM Branch has previously been dissolved, suspended or expelled, again this narrative exposes the weakness and authoritarian tactics of KREC, for again the regional organ has no such powers. Despite the contradictions and a number of factors that characterize the NANSO UNAM, which we believe is evident in all other structures. First and foremost there are clear guidelines and due procedures for an executive committee or individual member to be dismissed. Reasons for the dissolution have no substance, hold no water and certainly represents political adventurism and cowardice within KREC.
Chapter 5, page 25, is quite clear on disciplinary matters, see article 19 (2) on the code of conduct, puts the record straight on disciplinary measures, which prescribes the organizational procedure to deal with misconduct, because to suspend an individual or charge them they should have committed a specific unfortunate and unfavorable action, defined by what constitutes misconduct, in terms of what it is, when and how it occurred. Further than that, it should be characterized by clauses and articles of the constitution that have been or ought to have been violated.
NANSO UNAM members were never charged or served with papers detailing or summoning them to a disciplinary process, which and where both parties ought to have been heard and charged. It is only after such process can action be taken, when a member or members have been found to have violated the constitution and code of conduct of NANSO.
On the Character and State of Affairs in KREC
There indeed has been serious confusion that could have been avoided. This is a very unhealthy situation, where individuals within NANSO are in pursuant of dissimilar and contradictory objectives. The organization at national, regional and branch level, is run by feelings and uninformed pedestrian views, rhetoric and slogans; not by reason and logic located within an intellectual and ideological compass.
NANSO is a socialist revolutionary militant student organization, whose main objective is the transformation of higher education in particular and society in general. The organization therefore ought to have adopted a revolutionary theory that serves as a proper, clear, thorough analysis of societal challenges offering, scientific, ideological, pragmatic and innovative solutions. Lenin, reminds us that there can be no revolutionary action without revolutionary theory! Moreover, Thomas Sankara puts it aptly, “A soldier without any political or ideological training is a potential criminal.”
NANSO is in a constitutional, ideological and organizational crisis. But of course KREC sees nothing wrong in NANSO, the problems comes when individuals and factions within NANSO see themselves as super revolutionary and most progressive. And the reality is that, NANSO KREC is under an intellectual and ideologically directionless leadership. They are careerist and opportunists who have curtailed the student movement’s quest for vibrant militant ideas, which hampers organic unity and sustenance of the movement. Because they have demonstrated, no capacity to engage in knowledge production, to craft policy which outlines the struggles the students should wage, as they have not articulated a strategic vision or perspective on higher education transformation.
There are countless issues NANSO KREC could mobilize and critique on. Issues of financial and academic exclusion; the need to democratize higher education and decolonizing higher education curriculum; NANSO should be a weapon against ignorance, injustice, racism, patriarchy, homophobia, tribalism, neo-colonialism, and oppression, exploitation, discrimination and gender contradictions, these are some forms of struggles NANSO should wage but only with the proper tools of analysis informed by intellectual theories, philosophies and ideologies, of pan-Africanism, black consciousness, feminism and socialism, which will help characterize and contextualize and establish a progressive way forward with regards to the type of society the organization envisions.
It is indeed necessary to always respond with vitriol against elements wallowing in dogma mirroring as careerist, reactionary diehard pseudo-leaders and counter revolutionary forces that rear their ugly heads within the NANSO Structures. For we must stop defending and supporting reactionaries as illustrated by the NANSO KREC leadership. More so, we must demand and be led by young leaders who have demonstrated scientific talent for the future is about the battle of ideas on the high way towards national construction and development.
And before we chart an unequivocal way forward, NANSO KREC must understand that it was entirely wrong to raise false alarm, it was petty and a lame attempt. Perhaps we must forgive NANSO KREC and blame their ranting and Facebook activism on ignorance, mis-education and misinterpretation. We do wish the young KREC leaders well, we advise them to learn, engage, be humbled and we therefore hope they will mature and grow in the industry of intellectual knowledge production so as to attend to detail, in order to avoid ranting, Facebook activism, self-congratulation which defines their character and outlook.

Best Regards,

Pendapala Taapopi
University of Namibia, Windhoek – July 28, 2017
mtptaapopi@gmail.com




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