One of the trademarks of a democracy is regular elections after a specified period, as stipulated in the constitution of the country.

Namibia is once again exercising this democratic right on 27 November this year. Twenty-one political parties in a population of three million people are participating
in the elections, and the election campaign ball has been rolling in many quarters of this country.  

The contemporaries may agree with me that the 1989 general elections could be rated as the most-contested in the history of this country. It is so because it was the first democratic election, which ushered in freedom from the racist repressive system and created nationhood. 

Many promises were made during that time, of which some hinged on utopia.  Thirty-four years of promises have gone, and Namibians are being requested to give political parties another term of rule. As usual, Namibians are expected to turn up in large numbers to cast their votes. 

What has not changed is the way many political parties are running their campaigns. Song-singing is still the catch-word, and the political leadership seem to enjoy hearing their names being mentioned in the propaganda songs, even though they have done almost nothing during their term of office. Many of them have disappeared, and have never been seen during the five-year period of service delivery. 

It is campaigning time, and the main motto is to win so that the winner should
take it all. To achieve all this, political parties are using everything at their disposal. 

Some of the political leadership is crossing the territory to urge the electorate to cast votes for them.

However, one wonders whether these politicians are really taking the plight of the electorate seriously on their campaign trails. 

It is a lean year, and most of the people are going to bed on empty bellies. This is a reality in many parts of the country, despite getting drought relief food, which is a drop in the ocean. 

The beneficiaries are forced to wait for months before they line up for another round of food, amidst insults and humiliation coming from the officials administering this project. People were promised milk and honey in 1989, but many will agree that the promises of available employment for everyone are now an illusive dream.  

It is a fact that very few politicians are making any remarks on how the situation is going to be addressed once they are given the mandate to run the country. What is equally disturbing are the volumes of material for making uniforms for political parties. It is shameful when political leaders are masquerading in front of people who are almost walking skeletons, and asking for their votes. 

Yes, colourful party attire is one mode of attracting the voters, but other methods could be used, like dishing out food and offering other services. 

Dishing out food should not be interpreted as buying voters, but what democracy can be exercised in a situation where people are starving? Feed and dress the people first and ask for votes later, and this makes sense. But the people should be educated about their right to choose any leader of their choice depending on sound policies, despite having received any support from such parties. 

The money used to buy material to make political party uniforms could be given to those who deserve it, and in this case, it should be the need. Surprisingly, no political leader during these campaigns can transparently reveal the source of their funding. Some parties may claim that the source of their campaign money comes from their coffers, while others may point to Good Samaritans as their sponsors. But the reality is that each political party represented in parliament does receive some form of funding. 

This money can be translated into taxpayers’ money. Whatever source of sponsorship political parties use, the fact is that in one way or another, the source could be linked to some resources in the country. And in cases where money is borrowed from outside the country, the taxpayers are likely to reimburse the hidden source in one way or another. 

Whichever party wins the elections, the electorate will still suffer at the hands of corrupt political leaders, as they will be stealing from taxpayers. In the process of governing, politicians may prioritise personal gain over public service, using their positions to secure resources for themselves or their allies. Many politicians exercise resources’ control over natural resources, which can lead to conflicts and competition, with leaders exploiting these resources for personal enrichment. Benefitting themselves still, political leaders may focus on immediate benefits for themselves or their supporters rather than long-term development goals, which can hinder broader economic or social progress.

What many politicians may not know is that this type of politics can foster public cynicism and disengagement, as citizens may feel that their needs are secondary to the interests of those in power. 

Finally, spending money on uniform political campaigns while most people are starving is unconstitutionally, morally and politically inappropriate, and the electorate should demand their share from government by taking its responsibility as per Article 95 (l), which mandates government to raise and maintain an acceptable level of nutrition and standard of living of the Namibian people, and to improve public health.

*Prof. Makala Lilemba is an academician, author, diplomat, motivational leader, researcher and scholar.