Last year around this time, I signalled an ode to our beloved Omes, late president Hage Geingob. The situation dictates that I do it one more time again. 

This time around, it is for our beloved tatekulu, father of the nation and the first president of the land of the brave. Hopefully, there will not be a need for this again anytime soon. 

We are exhausted as a people. 

Notwithstanding that, I have a question for every single Namibian. 

Did you, my fellow Namibians, ever in your natural existence take a few minutes to ponder what the phrase ‘land of the brave’ actually means? 

What does that phrase represent? 

What are we trying to tell the world with that phrase? 

Is that phrase a true representation of who we are as a Namibian society? 

What bravery is being cited with this phrase? 

Do we, ordinary Namibians, connect with this phrase? 

Is this phrase a true representation of our character as a Namibian society? 

When our beloved tatekulu left everything behind in 1960, did he anticipate that phrase would ultimately become what defines us, as Namibians? 

I ask these questions because I have been on a very long journey of self-actualisation.

If you are an ardent follower of my work, you would know that for light years, I have criticised us, as a Namibian society, for not carving out an identity for ourselves and, in turn, embracing ourselves. 

It is evident in everything we do. 

We love foreign sport more than our own. 

We love foreign music more than our own. 

We love foreign authors more than our own. 

We love foreign clothing brands more than our own. 

The list is endless. 

So, when we say now that we are the land of the brave, what does that mean while, factually, the Namibian society loves everything foreign over domestic? 

When we say now, we are the land of the brave, are we referring to the bravery of wanting to be anything else but Namibian? 

When we say we are the land of the brave, are we referring to the bravery of praising mediocrity instead of pushing for accountability, leading to an amplified experience? 

Before the burial of our tatekulu, for weeks, every single day at these televised memorials, speaker after speaker would urge that we emulate the ethos of our beloved tatekulu. 

What are the values and ethos of our el numero uno? 

Now, any politically sound mind will have you know that our founding father was an aggressively proud Namibian. 

There is no way this giant of a man would be anything but considering the sacrifices he made for this land we call home.

Dare I say, land of the brave with the ethos of our beloved tatekulu means self-actualisation? 

Land of the brave with the values of our beloved tatekulu means that as Namibians, we need to embrace who we are. My goodness, what did he and many other combatants fight for if today we are an identity-less society – a society that seeks validation outside instead of looking at thyself with valour?

We failed our beloved tatekulu. 

We need to be brutally honest about this. 

It is my hope that one day we will be brave enough to have a national dialogue on why we are seemingly so comfortable with embracing everything foreign with the exception of ours. 

Rest well, tatekulu. 

The fight for self-actualisation continues. 

Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM 

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