Members of the Constituent Assembly reminisced about the challenges and triumphs they faced while drafting the nation's constitution.
Members recounted the early days of the Constituent Assembly, highlighting diverse perspectives on subjects such as foreign policy, the economy, and the nature of the newly-found republic.
Members of the Constituent Assembly and the first MPs in the new National Assembly, Dr. Kaire Mbuende and Jerry Ekandjo, noted the international benchmarks that influenced Namibia's constitutional principles.
"There was both a national setting and an international setting. The international setting linked Namibia's independence with the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and the involvement of what is known as a group of five proposing constitutional principles. For me, the adoption of constitutional principles broke the ice as we moved into that house. We were all suspicious of each other regarding the ideas we were going to put forward," said Dr. Mbuende.
"When we drafted the constitution after three months, we had to finish because the UN was on the way out in February. There was no other way; their budget was due, and we had to draft the constitution. The constitution states one house to parliament, with the reason being that during the UN election, most of the districts south of the red line went to the opposition party," added Ekandjo.
A member of the drafting committee of the Namibian Constitution, Andrew Matjila, highlighted the efforts made to bridge gaps between different political parties.
"When the parties came together here at the Constituent Assembly, trust was lacking, and respect was not there. People looked at each other according to their tribes. After a chairman was elected, he gave a speech, and those speeches were meant to reassure all the people in the Constituent Assembly that we are here to work together."
Despite the complexities, the assembly successfully completed the constitution within three months.
"The work was set aside for months or years, and it took us only 80 days, to the surprise of the whole world. Even Martti Ahtissari was here in Namibia at that time," said Reggie Diergaardt.
Namibia's tribute to the drafters of the Namibian Constitution and the members of the Constituent Assembly is even more pronounced against the backdrop of the passing of President Hage Geingob, who was also the chairperson of the Constituent Assembly.