Yes, it is true humanity shares one planet. This planet, however, has two worlds, the world of the rich and the world of the poor.
The UNDP postulates that three quarters of the world’s people live in developing countries, such as Namibia, but they enjoy only 16 percent of the world’s income whereas the richest 20 percent have 85 percent of global income.
Conversely, according to the UNDP, Namibia has the highest levels of inequality in the world.
Alas, 24 years after independence, the country is still highly fragmented and masquerading as a melting pot but let truth be told that whereas the upper and middle class are on top and middle of the pot, the majority of the under-class are being burnt at the bottom of the pot!
My hypothesis is that Namibia has no other choice but must emerge as a newly industrialized country by the year 2030 but only if and where we incorporate the following four developmental objectives, namely:
• To ensure the availability and widen the distribution of basic life-sustaining goods, such as food, shelter, health and protection;
• To raise the levels of living, including, in addition to higher incomes, the provision of more jobs, a better education and nation-states but also to the forces of ignorance and human misery; pay attention to cultural and humanistic values, all of which will serve not only to enhance material well-being but also to generate greater individual and national self-esteem;
• To expand the range of economic and social choices available to individuals and Namibia by freeing itself from servitude and dependence not only in relation to other people and nation-states but also to the forces of ignorance and human misery; and,
• To focus on where Namibia will be with the successful implementation of Vision 2030 by the year 2030 by briefly delving into the issues of peace and security, decentralization and good governance, economic growth, health promotion, poverty alleviation, education and training, information and communication, technology and unemployment.
The term “development” is used here to refer to life-sustenance, ability to meet basic human needs; self-esteem, meeting basic and other needs with a sense of dignity and freedom from servitude which involves emancipation from all forms of oppression and empowerment.
According to the 2011 Census, Namibia has a population of 2.1 million and hence makes up a little over 3 percent of Africa’s land area and a little over 0.2 percent of Africa’s population.
It has one of the lowest population densities in Africa. The bulk of Namibia’s land surface is too dry for human settlement, but on average, it has about 2 people per square kilometer and the majority of its population lives in the north and north-east of the country in Omusati, Ohangwena,
Oshana, Oshikoto, Kavango and Zambezi regions.
Namibia is one of the richest countries in the world. It has an abundance of mineral resources, such as diamond, copper, uranium and all types of fish along its coastal line. This is one of the reasons why Namibia became one of the last colonies in Africa.
It obtained independence on 21 March 1990 after a protracted armed struggle between Swapo and the apartheid colonial regime of South Africa.
After independence, Namibia’s economy was characterized by a “significant financial”, huge social and environmental debt that caused great impact to the development of the country. The financial debt was written off by the South African-ANC led government after “comradely negotiations” with the Swapo-led government in 1994.
Since independence, Namibia has taken major steps towards developmental objectives that meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the incoming generations, to have a bright future.
To meet its goal, the Namibian government has adopted planning systems as its management tool, the 5-year National Development Plans that started with NDP1 as its 5-Year Development Strategic Plan.
These Medium Term Plans will go as far as NDP7. These short-term development plans cover Namibia’s Vision 2030, the Blueprint Policy Framework Strategy that aims to ensure that by the year 2030, Namibia will be a prosperous and industrialized country with a developed human capital.
To achieve this, an enabling environment of good governance is already in place, to facilitate the Namibian people to use the resources for sustainable development to improve the quality of life of our people so as to enjoy prosperity, harmony, peace and political stability and tranquility in our country by the year 2030.
• Josephat Sinvula has a B.Sc in Urban Studies & Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, USA; MPA from Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA and has a PhD in Political Science. He is currently employed as Director of Human Resources, Finance & Administration at Oshana Regional Council in Oshakati, Oshana Region. The views expressed in this opinion piece are his personal views.