Human rights monitors in the Owambo district today (Wednesday) reported that a high profile demo in favour of a fourth term for President Sam Nujoma failed to draw a large crowd contrary to the expectations.

Over the last two days NBC Radio’s Oshiwambo Language Service broadcast calls upon Oshiwambo-speakers to demonstrate for a fourth term for President Nujoma today (Wednesday). Human rights monitors said by 16h00 there was an estimated crowd of between 1000 and 1600 people, mainly school children in their uniforms.

President Sam Nujoma, 74, was widely reported today (Wednesday) as refusing to rule out a fourth term of office. In 1998 the Namibian Constitution was Nujoma-tailor-amended to enable him to rule for a third and last term. Last year Nujoma was widely reported in the foreign media as saying:"You know, I‘m growing old. Age doesn‘t wait for anybody. I am going to retire to the (Swapo) party headquarters".

However, in an apparent turnabout, Nujoma was quoted today as saying that he might run for the fourth term „if requested by the people. One cannot ignore the call by the people because the people are the ones who make the final decisions".

„This is typical of African dictators who usually claim that they are ‚forced by the people‘ to remain in office against their will. Although Nujoma is, in our opinion not a dictator, it is not surprising to hear him speaking the language of African dictators. Moreover, our head of state is often seen in the company of African dictators, such as the late Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Robert Mugabe and Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola. As an English saying goes: ‚Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are", said Phil ya Nangoloh, NSHR executive director, this afternoon (Wednesday).

on 29 March 2004 between 19h15 and 19h50 several callers to NBC Radio appealed to motorists to transport demonstrators from different parts of the Owambo district to Oshakati. Said one of the callers: „ I am calling upon a fourth term for President Dr Sam Tshafiishuna Nujoma, because he liberated this country and because he is still young. Also because of him, there is peace and stability in this country since independence and he still has to finalize several development projects, such as the Tsumeb-Oshikango railroad line. I am appealing to the Ministry of Justice to pass a referendum to enable Comrade Nujoma to remain in office for the next five years".

NSHR is calling upon President Nujoma to step down when his current term of office ends. It is neither wise nor democratic to amend a law or even a Constitution just for the benefit of a particular individual.