WINDHOEK - The United States of America’s Ambassador to Namibia, Wanda Nesbitt, says Namibia is fortunate to have come through the severe trial of the liberation struggle with one of the most “forward-leaning constitutions” on the African continent.

“Like the United States, Namibia is a country that is ethnically and racially diverse. You are confronting the challenges of how to build a new society, one that finds its diversity mirrored in public and private institutions,” said Nesbitt, who spoke at a public lecture last Thursday evening.

The public lecture was themed, ‘The shared experience of the freedom struggle and the civil rights movement.’
The public lecture formed part of the Black History month activities, observed annually in February.

Meanwhile, Namibia celebrated Constitution Day last Thursday. The day marks the adoption of the Namibian constitution in February 1990, after the country voted in the 1989 elections.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, who is also one of the authors of the Namibian constitution, spoke at the same occasion and said merely celebrating Constitution Day is not enough.

“You should be sick and tired of merely celebrating the date of the constitution. We should be answering so what? Would the mere celebration of the adoption of the constitution meet my needs, homelessness and poverty?” asked Gurirab, who pointed out that action is important and observing the constitution should be transformed into action rather than merely recalling history.

Furthermore, Nesbitt applauded the achievements Namibia has made so far, saying that like the United States of America, Namibia is trying to reconcile differences in ethnicity and race that have the potential to divide the country.

 “By sharing our stories, I believe we can learn from each other and perhaps help each other identify new ways of moving forward,” said Nesbitt.