Namibia celebrated its independence a few days ago. The motherland has enjoyed 32 years of peace and stability. For over three decades, the country has remained true to its founding principles, and for that, it deserves more credit than it gets.
As the country gets older and we learn more and understand the working of our societies and the republic better, we start to expect more from our government We compare it to our neighbours and those who seem to have it all in order. We start putting unrealistic and, sometimes, unfair expectations on the government.
The argument of whether the government ever does enough for its people will always be a subjective one, because while we might live in the same country and are under the same government, our circumstances and needs will be different from each other. Thus, how we perceive what 32 years of independence is like will always be different among the populous.
Sometimes I am surprised at the complaints the government gets. It will do us all good to remember that the government is run by ordinary people like us. We might not have the same name or level of experience or even education for that matter, but we are all Namibian people, and we would like to see our country succeed in whatever it has to do. Actually, it’s your responsibility to play your part.
While the government can’t give you everything your heart desires, it does a great job of creating and maintaining platforms that allow the ordinary citizen to contribute to the raising of the country. Just like the government needs people for it to function, the people have to do their part to ensure the government has something to do.
We can’t just sit back and expect a few men and women to determine the fate of our country when we might be most affected by their actions. Do your part and contribute where you can.
For us to continue having independence celebrations, especially those worth celebrating, we would have to get our acts together and not only take what we are given, but use it so it benefits not only us, but those who gave it to us too. How are we supposed to grow if we don’t share the wealth?
Olavi Popyeinawa
Twitter: @olavipopyeinawa
Email: olavipopyeinawa@gmail.com