Affirmative Repositioning (AR) member of parliament, Fredrick Shitana, aka Lieutenant Shitana, delivered his maiden contribution in parliament earlier this week. 

It must be known that I have the utmost respect for the militant style of work Shitana has done in the last eight years or so in protecting his art and that of the industry at large.

I mean, this is the same gentleman who in 2017 was arrested for impersonating a police officer. 

The “so-called” controversial stunt involved hiring someone to pose as law enforcement officer and issuing fines to shops selling pirated copies of his CDS. This is my type of person. This is a Namibian who understands that we may be guilty of being too sleepy as a society. 

That sometimes a little shock value will spark the general populous into a conversation about whatever cause you may be advocating. That’s the type of person I’d love to have on my side when war breaks out. Figuratively, AR has a real lieutenant in Shitana.

For years, I’ve always maintained on this platform that the days of diplomacy are long gone. We are at a stage in our society and this industry where we have to call a spade a spade. We have to do so aggressively. Clearly, Shitana understands this. This is why we felt the need to have a deeper look at his maiden contribution in parliament.

In his speech, Shitana, among many things, highlighted the harsh realities many Namibian artists face, including systemic neglect and unfair treatment. In his exact words… “How do we expect Namibian artists to survive when opportunities are reserved only for those with political connections?”

He also took the opportunity to criticize the norm of international artists at national events, often at the expense of local talent. Where it gets interesting is his call for the implementation of“standardized” performance fees at national events such as expos, independence celebrations, and political rallies. 

Again…his exact words:“It is unacceptable for one artist to walk away with N$80 000 while others receive only N$1 500 for performing on the same stage,”

For a lack of space, I will limit my critique and analysis to these three points.

Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM

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