As I travelled to Walvis Bay to film the proceedings of the Heroes Day commemoration, I was at pain to see young people in Karibib and Khorixas in a trap of hopelessness.
Apart from shops, which appeared as the only form of employment, young people are languishing in unjust inflicted long-term poverty.
Though Khorixas and Karibib are not only the towns that are affected by poverty, they evidently neglected insofar as town development is concerned.
The two towns lack development infrastructure and empowerment facilities. Development would, in practical terms, be the same in all towns and regions but it must be inclusive and not skewed as is the case in the two towns.
These two towns are behind in terms of development and growth, and their youthful populaces are in dire need of practical policies intervention.
As we observed heroic deeds such as the narrative of 26 August, I could not help but think of the impacts of Namibia’s income inequalities among the downtrodden. As a result, there is a need to do more in order to save our people from the chain of poverty.
The memory of the fallen heroes and heroines is better upheld when economic liberty is in the hands of the masses.
President Hage Geingob set a good tone during his commemoration of Heroes Day’s keynote address in Walvis Bay through rallying calls such as “no Namibian must feel left out”, “one Namibia, one Nation”, “Harambee” as well as the concept of the Namibian House. Through this, we have endeavoured to galvanise all Namibians to be part of the development of our country.
However, this rhetoric needs to enter the arenas of implementation in order to empower our people to have better living conditions, especially those in these two towns and other equally poverty stricken towns.
Why do we allow our people to survive on benevolent acts? People are given N$ 1.00 or N$10.00, to buy food instead of being empowered in the long run through developmental projects, for example. Like most towns in Namibia, Khorixas and Karibib represent unique cultural and heritage features. I am thus of the opinion that deliberate efforts need to be instituted in order to revive and develop the economic status and mobility of the Khorixas and Karibib.
Frans Koolike
Windhoek