I miss the 2015 Namibia at 25 Independence Celebrations. That’s the year the departed president Hage G. Geingob ascended to the presidency. Something was in the air. Perhaps it was the wind of change as alluded to by the legendary Jackson Kaujeua that was in the air in 2015. Speaking of music… Namibia at 25 had theme songs left right and centre, celebrating the occasion. The most famous one of PDK, ‘We Cele’.
Allow me to be frank… no celebration after Namibia at 25 in 2015 could match the happy energy of the country.
Namibia at 34 is tricky because we just lost our favourite statesman. How do we celebrate 34 years of existence as a people having buried our beloved president barely a month ago?
Could Namibia at 34 be our official “After Tears” as a nation? For those not in the know, the concept of After Tears is a Southern African mantra that can be defined as a gathering that is held after a funeral
is attended by mourners. The party usually takes place on the very day of the funeral in a venue a few houses down from the funeral or most commonly in the home of bereavement.
In this case, because of the sheer nature of the person we lost as a country, the concept of after-tears could not have been a thing.
Namibia at 34, a few weeks after saying goodbye to our beloved president…seems to be the perfect opportunity for a national after tears occasion. An after-tears party is not a foreign concept to
Namibia. Regardless of what cultural code you are subscribed to…you must’ve, one way or another either seen or experienced an after tears party in your local setting.
President Geingob, having been a man of the people, should be honoured with an after-tears celebration. A befitting one for that matter, so my hope for the official Namibia at 34 celebrations in Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region is that we smile at the good times instead of crying about the bad times.
We remember and laugh at his jokes instead of frowning about the times he said, “The sale of alcohol is prohibited.” We dance instead of sitting idle. Because that’s what Hagelulu would have wanted.
Namibia at 34 will heavily rely on the entertainment and arts industry to breathe life into the occasion. It’s times like these… That I really hope that the powers that be and the general populace take a moment to understand that the entertainment and arts industry is a need and not a want. It’s an industry that has the potential to aid in the fight against poverty and lawlessness. But that’s an entire conversation for another day.
For now though… Let’s after tears in typical President Hage G Geingob’s style and spirit.
OMAKE!
Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM
Need an MC? I’m YOUR guy. Hit me up… naobebsekind@gmail.com