Having been free to govern ourselves for 26 years now, we are in a position to look back and with the wisdom of hindsight allow ourselves the freedom to reflect, take stock, theorise and regroup, using different scenarios to answer some hard questions about the past, the present and the future. Like philosophers of old would suggest: a life unexamined is not worth living.
Firstly, living in a fast changing world and being a learning organisation, we as a country certainly must look back with honesty and admit that there are things that we would do differently if we were able to turn the clock.
Secondly, we must make room for the reality that the majority of voters, winners, losers and those with no interest in any future elections will be people for whom the liberation struggle and the reasons for it are mere stories, hopefully sufficiently inspiring stories. They will have their own issues and challenges to face, and white domination and colonialism will be absent from their long lists of problems.
Thirdly, as the world shrinks into one global village, the future leaders will compare and benchmark their choices and their governance institutions with those that work better in a world where there is more peace and stability and development instead of remaining stuck with apologies and excuses that they need time to catch up.
Fourthly, resources anywhere in the world are becoming more and more scarce as the population and their needs are growing exponentially, thus forcing responsible governments and leaders to learn to do more with less, not less with more as is the case today with the usage of our meagre resources. Democratic governance, or living in a constitutional or republican system, is about adapting to change and managing perceptions in dialectical and dialogical manners. Important in this scenario is how resources are managed and opportunities distributed such that the greatest number of people perceive fair, equal and transparent play. Old political systems that fell, including apartheid, were toppled because the manner in which resources were used by the political leaders was unfair and not transparent.
Up until the early 1990s, the city of New York was known for its graffiti, littered neighbourhoods and red-light streets. The city was a hot bed for unscrupulous criminals such that the metropolitan leadership figured out a way to recreate the city and its respectability. They brought in a Police Superintendent who introduced what was referred to as ‘the broken window approach’. By this approach, a system was introduced that galvanized all law enforcement officers to pay attention to even the most minor crimes, such as a broken window immediately. The message that was out was threefold: (a) whoever broke the window or the door noticed and realized the speed with which it was fixed and that someone was watching; (b) the law-breakers were put on notice; (c) an awareness was created that tackling small things was as important, in fact a requirement, for fixing the larger socio-economic, even political issues. In no time, New York became clean and more habitable.
What does this have to do with us in Namibia? After 26 years we are in a position to know what can be tackled now and what can wait. For a government to demonstrate its willingness and readiness to make Namibia the most competitive country and nation in Southern Afrika, in a few years’ time, as we proclaimed with our visions? It would help us to start facing our developmental challenges in a manageable way so that we can sustain our momentum. We need to start with smaller things before we can get onto bigger issues. In so doing we establish a culture of doing things differently as well grow in confidence that we are our own masters with responsibilities and a sense of accountability. Development happens where there is an ethic and attitudinal readiness and commitment to move forward. In other words, before we eradicate poverty, there are certain things that must happen to make that war winnable. For a war to be waged, never won, there must be (a) fighters; (b) the right configuration and readiness to kill or die; and (c) the right location and equipment with which to execute the war.
The leadership Namibia has since independence put the right fundamentals upon which to build a better Namibia, which is to move out of a mindset of war to one of national reconstruction and sustainable socio-economic development.
On this road less travelled, there are low-hanging fruits. Critical in this reconstruction are efforts not so much to impress investors, but to make life more meaningful for the Namibian citizens first. The Wohlstand, the well-being and prosperity, the safety and security of the Namibian citizens, wherever they are, is the broken window that must be fixed before bigger and more expensive issues can be tackled.
We have to appreciate and acknowledge that much of our current leadership has been broken psychologically and spiritually in and by our past. Psychologists teach us that a human being who killed another human being cannot be a healer of other people’s pain. Many of political leaders’ sleeps are marred by constant nightmares about comrades, friends and even relatives they have caused to die. Their immediate reaction to political discomfort is to eliminate the person causing the discomfort. They cannot restore justice. Hurt people hurt people. In fact, all of us have been wounded by our history. Our experiences with either the side of apartheid colonialism or the side of the liberation struggle, has ill-prepared us for equality and true citizenship. We all need to change the way we think about ourselves, the people around us and how to use the resources at our disposal.
First, the leadership ought to embark upon a national campaign to imbue the right attitude that lives out values of tolerance, meaningful participation, equality of citizens to participate in the life of the nation without fear of exclusion and victimization. Nelson Mandela wowed the world with very little; he treated all South Africans as equal and deserving of freedom and respect and dignity, including those who disagreed with him to the extent that he won adversaries over. Unlike most Afrikan leaders, he was able to put his nation’s interests and well-being above his own and that of his family and friends. In one of his last appearances in parliament as president, he told parliamentarians: ‘If one day, the ANC leaders behave like the people we replaced in power, (oppressive and mean), I urge you to rebel against the ANC.’ There are numerous stories how his cabinet looked forward to meeting him as it was such a joy to be around him. Big and small felt lifted up by his presence. The truth is that Namibians are not feeling that they are equal as citizens at this very moment. People are growing in fear and anxiety as to what will happen to them, and this includes leaders at all levels. The language of inclusivity is sounding hollow as there is incongruence between what people are hearing and what they seeing and experiencing. The growing fear and uncertainty can only eat away at the new sense of patriotism that the nation needs now.
Second, it must be repeated that a concerted frontal war against homelessness in the country would restore dignity upon many citizens in the Land of the Brave. While one appreciates and welcomes the rhetoric to eradicate poverty, the reality is that no country, even the richer nations, have been able to eradicate poverty. Given the size of Namibia, it is within our reach to have a country where all families can live in decent shelter with dignity. The state can assist with the provision of shelter in all the regions so that the pressure on Windhoek is lessened, while property prices are regulated aggressively to make acquisition of property in the country affordable.
Third, youth development ought to be multi-faceted and part of national planning. A National Service Programme by which all secondary school completing children are placed in programmes for two years. This programme is not limited to the military but covers all sectors of the national economy, be it agriculture, health care, the military and police, religious and private sector operations, so that they get a sense of the real world to inform their career choices.
Fourth, the government is to be commended for introducing a minimum wage. All citizens who sell their labour, including waiters and waitresses in restaurants, must get a minimum wage. In order to grow our peace and stability, the practice of car guards must be stamped out, and shopping malls be compelled to provide safety and security on their sites. The able-bodied young men, all of whom are black, ought to be channelled to institutions where they can be taught life skills to become meaningful in the economy.
Fifth, no economy can grow without a good, reliable and safe Public Transport System: We are endowed with a large land mass. A large country with the population separated by distance, movement of people, goods and services must be made easier. In addition to improving the infrastructure and making more vehicles and skilled drivers available, the fuel stations along all national roads must be prohibited from charging road users money for the use of toilets on their sites. The licence granting ministries should make it a requirement in the contracts to provide facilities to people who use these economic nodes.
With these processes in place, real transformation that can be felt in all the regions will commence. The bigger programmes that will require more sacrifice then follow, namely the restructuring of the government and public service sector. In order for the People’s Government to steward this national transformation, basic things ought to be in place first, amongst them the downsizing of the government bureaucracy to NO MORE than 15 State (Cabinet) Ministers as the heart of the Executive.
A bigger sacrifice is the reorganisation of the Legislature (Parliament) such that it is responsive to the people in the regions, a true oversight responsibility over the Executive and the Judiciary. Then follows the deliberate, thematic and systematic strengthening and professionalisation of state institutions across the nation, to make the country effective and efficient in her operations and growing the country with a competitive edge and moral voice in the world.
The leadership that will take the Namibian nation forward with meaning that is able to redefine the nation and redirect its resources in a much more meaningful, functional and realistic manner in tandem with the country’s size and potential. This leadership will start by demonstrating what Namibia deserves and is capable of. The starting point is to downsize the state bureaucracy significantly to send the message to the citizens that the meagre resources the country has, have to be channelled towards the people. It will be the leadership that will commit to an Executive arm of government along the following template of ministries, to be named and established by law, not left to the arbitrary decision of the President:
- Prime Minister or Vice-President: (not both) in charge of Government business in Parliament and to assist the President;
- State/Foreign Affairs: responsible for International and Diplomatic Relations and Activities;
- Home Affairs and Internal Security: Responsible for Citizenship, Immigration, Police Services and Homeland Security;
- Defence: Responsible for the Safety and Protection of the State and Nation;
- Finance: Responsible for the Treasury and Revenue Collection;
- Agriculture, Water and Marine Resources: Responsible for Food Security;
- Education and Training: Responsible for Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Education and Vocational Training;
- Health and Medical Services: Responsible for Administration and Provision of Public Health;
- Environment and Nature Conservation: Responsible for Environment Protection and Heritage;
- Transport Infrastructure: Responsible for Transport of Goods, People and Services: Air, Land and Sea;
- Economic Affairs: Responsible for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Industrialization;
- Mines and Energy: Responsible for Mines and Power Supply;
- Land Reform, Local Government and Housing: Responsible for Decentralization and Housing;
- Public Service Administration: Responsible for Presidential Affairs and Government Communications; and,
- Justice: Responsible for the Administration of Justice.
In all fairness, this is where Namibia could stand out as a different Afrikan country with a powerful exemplary story in the same manner that America evolved as a nation with a story in the family of European nations from which it came.
Namibia already has the fundamentals in place to move towards a unique place in Afrika, a microcosm of a nation capable of self-correction, self-preservation and continuous reinvention, a new state which is neither black nor white, but an ELEGANT ZEBRA NATION in Afrika.