EDITORIAL: Even people-centric activism has limits

When activist Michael Amushelelo stepped out of court on bail and told journalists he would now be more measured in his public remarks, he made a rare but crucial acknowledgment: even activism, no matter how just, has its limits.His latest run-in with the law wasn’t just another skirmish with authority. It was a direct result of breaching a standing court order in his ongoing verbal feud with police chief Joseph Shikongo. The two men may be at loggerheads, but court orders are not optional suggestions. They are binding legal instruments. And in that moment, Amushelelo recognised that he was toeing a very dangerous line.We are unapologetic in our support for principled activism - especially in a country still grappling with inequality and injustice. But when activism begins to chip away at the foundations of the rule of law, it risks becoming part of the problem rather than the solution.Courts are not above scrutiny. Like all institutions, they can be flawed - judges can err, and the system can be manipulated. Law is not a perfect science, nor is it blind to power. But the very concept of justice collapses if we discard legal rulings whenever they feel inconvenient. If activists can defy court orders with impunity, what’s to stop politicians from doing the same? Or criminals ignoring verdicts and picking up where they left off?The courts may be imperfect. They may occasionally lean under the weight of politics or pressure. But they remain the backbone of any just society. Amushelelo’s awakening, however delayed, is welcome. Let it serve as a reminder: in a democracy, the loudest voice must still respect the law.

EDITORIAL: Even people-centric activism has limits

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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EDITORIAL: Even people-centric activism has limits

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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