President Nangolo Mbumba says Namibia's leadership made a conscious decision to foster healthy relationships with the church and traditional authorities.
Dr. Mbumba says this approach was adopted way before Namibia's independence because of the role these institutions played in Namibia's freedom struggle.
The President was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of the Namibia South Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church at State House.
"I want to tell you that way back in the 80's, we had many understandings of issues: socialism, communism, and what our leaders thought. Now we are going home to face elections, and we took two conservative decisions, and some of us militants did not want to accept them: 1. we will not separate ourselves from the Church, and 2. we will have a healthy respect for the traditional leaders. Some were on our side, and some thought we were naughty boys. Therefore, whatever you say to me, it should not be to me only because I am only following principles that were adopted even before the constitution was written, to say that government is part of the people."
The Namibia South Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church hailed the Namibian Constitution, pledging to work along the principles enshrined in the Supreme Law.
"Your commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens resonates deeply with our values and mission. We are particularly grateful for the provisions that uphold freedom of religion and belief, allowing individuals to practice their faith freely and without fear of persecution. This freedom is essential for the spiritual well-being of all people and enables diverse communities to harmonise," said Pastor Sabyn Ndjamba, President of the Namibia South Conference.
In addition to community spiritual growth activities, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has several social programmes.
These are in the areas of education, health, and the media, particularly in underserved communities.
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church has a membership of about 26,000 congregants in Namibia.