Are Namibians truly and sincerely united to make their country great within itself and to be one of the best nations among other nations? Will Vision 2030 and other national socio-economic development goals be achieved in an environment of economic disunity and social injustice that have as a consequence contributed immensely to the current high levels of poverty, high levels of unemployment and destitution in the country?
These questions are very difficult to answer but if they are truly and honestly answered they could seriously unravel the true cause and provide the necessary remedies to our disunity and hence subsequently towards the nation achieving prosperity for all as was initially and sincerely intended through the waging of the war of liberation for our independence.
Although not the sincere intention of the liberation struggle for our national freedom, the country is as a result of disunity and ignorance among its people sadly among others now facing a number of avoidable national social challenges such as a high level of unemployment, a high academic failure rate, a huge national financial debt, high levels of poverty, destitution, crime, alcohol and domestic abuse.
For starters, the Namibian liberation struggle for independence was sincerely achieved through the unity of purpose among its progressive citizens and from like-minded international nation’s support. This unity of purpose among Namibians during that time and after was strongly imbued through the great and strong leadership of our Founding Father, Dr Sam Nujoma who until his retirement from active politics always used to on various occasions famously state the following statement and I quote, “A united people striving to achieve a common good for all members of our society, will always emerge victorious.”
There is definitely a lot of truth in this statement but it is somehow failing to hold in an independent, democratic Namibia for a number of reasons which if not rectified could seriously move the nation towards an uncharted social disharmony territory.
Yes, there is peace and political stability in the country but the underlying fundamental socio-economic environment and political leadership to mobilise Namibians of all race and tribes to work closely together to sincerely propel the nation towards its true greater economic and social potentials are still seriously pending hence our many social problems and challenges.
The intended fabric of unity by and for all the citizens in a free and independent Namibia is for some various reasons not holding and as a consequences puts the people of Namibia further apart from each other in terms of wealth re-distribution and economic status.
With the above said, I for one do not for the purpose of this article sincerely think that Namibians are as a collective sincerely united at all as a people and as a consequence I think that the nation is in a very serious sad state of national denial, is living on false but potentially achievable hope if the leadership of the day really wants to, is dangerously highly and truly divided on racial and tribal lines and that it has become as a further consequence of greed an enemy of itself, to itself, by itself and within itself which sadly impedes national development for the benefit of its citizens. The reality therefore going forward is that Namibia is still very much a highly divided society on racial and tribal lines of which within that there is a lot of hidden animosity, dislike, hate, fear, jealously, corruption, favouritism and nepotism among its citizens just to mention a few. This reality is inherently inherited from the South African apartheid regime era of divide and rule which to the naked eye has in modern Namibia unfortunately created two artificial racial economies whereby one striving economy (private sector) strongly favours and protects the white minority and the other one (public sector) albeit being successfully penetrated by the Chinese favours the majority black society of which to a large extent is manipulated by a few well connected previously disadvantage individuals of our society.
The earlier we acknowledge and confront these facts and realities, the better the nation through its political leadership is able to truly align the nation’s economic and social development policies that will ensure that the true wealth potential of the nation are equitable distributed for the benefit of all its citizens.
Namibia recently bade farewell to Commandant Fidel Castro, an international icon and Cuban leader who united his people to liberate themselves and other nations so that they are able to determine their own economic and social future for the benefit of their people. Namibia was one of those nations that was immensely assisted by Cuba in its strive to achieve its national independence and is therefore in this regard important going forward to take stock and reflect if the nation is seriously on track to achieve social economic enhancement and justice for the benefit of its people as per the ethos and belief of Commandant Fidel Castro.
A true reflection on that is highly needed through further research and analysis as the facts on the ground as a result of national disunity and its consequences are there for all to see.
*Pendapala Hangala is a Namibian patriot