Vaalgras Horse animosity

BA BASSON WRITES:We, the impoverished rural traditional community of Vaalgras used to know horses as our pride and culture. That’s why some of us don’t even eat horse meat, as compared to a donkey as per our upbringing. We see horse riding as an integral pride of our culture to spice up our historic events, viz. weddings and high profile traditional funerals, not any funeral. Your upbringing must justify your association with horses, not because of your wishes and/or beauty. The only question that begs now is, should we abolish the use of horses during our traditional functions and which laws should apply and against whom?‘WESTERN CALAMITY’Alternatively, which pragmatic and holistic approaches should we advance to curb the situation aimed at fundamental transformation and a better tomorrow for the generations to come. This deviation from original traditional norms, ethics and practices should be seen as a “western calamity”. We, as a pauperized small community, can’t afford it to be recolonized or being captured by a handful of apparent bloodline Rebels. Their draconian actions are vexatious and nihilistic of nature and should not be entertained at any platform.These actions are far-fetching and it has nothing to do with whatever tribal allegiances between the rich and the poor. We must guard jealously against resembling events and circumvent it at all costs to save and protect our tomorrow. If I have to juxtapose things and be hyper-cautious then we should choose between horses, birth register and privileges etc. Our collective amnesia should not be given the advantage and privilege to destroy a nation and its heritage. The trajectory and the catch-22 situation that we are faced with is elusive deviations to defend our cultural heritage and intransigent well-being. BETWEEN HORSES AND OUR HERITAGEMy kith and kin, the honest thing that stands for us to do is to decide what to do and what to choose between the horses and our heritage.In my personal view, horses from the time of the British empire were something unique and special in terms of treatment, especially when it comes to treatment etc. What I suspect as one of the contributing factors is, perhaps the absence of a chief or a headman, this leads to lawlessness and unwarranted anarchy. Furthermore, some people feel they have so many powers and authority to step on the feet of others and take decisions at all the houses outside their territories to manipulate others. HUMBLE ADVICETherefore, my humble advice is that we as a peace-loving small community set rules involving the usage of horses at weddings, funerals and whatever traditional and cultural functions so as to maintain law and order. We know that some of us are using animals in diverse ways and means, inter alia as transport etc. It is very unfortunate that the usage of horses should cause unnecessary bloodshed and what happened at Vaalgras on Saturday, 25 January 2025 is very shameful and should be avoided at all costs to preserve the reputation of our traditional community.* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Network Media Hub (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.

Vaalgras Horse animosity

Kommentaar

Republikein 2026-03-26

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Vaalgras Horse animosity

Kommentaar

Republikein 2026-03-26

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry. ×

MELD AAN

Advertensie

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry.