I visited Zanzibar and Tanzania as from September 17 to 22. It was a very nice experience. I also visited the historic location where many African freedom fighters lived while in exile. This includes our very own Dr Sam Nujoma. I was shown the house wherein he lived while in Tanzania.
The spirit of Pan Africanism in Tanzania is very real and amazing. The most important lesson I picked up is that Mwalimu Nyerere was a very great and super-smart African visionary in the most powerful sense of the word. I was informed that one of the first things he did when he got political power was to nationalise land. This single political move made sure that the land would be available to the majority without greedy privatisation like we have here in Namibia.
I fully realised that there was a strategic failure of leadership in Namibia on this score. I know we had our own unique political factors, but I am somehow very convinced that the strategic failure of political leadership on the land issue was tragic, frankly speaking.
Land is a very crucial natural resource [that should not] be largely in private hands. Even worse was when our government allowed the land to be auctioned by some municipalities. That is criminal. That policy must die a natural and permanent death. I know the Namibian Constitution has somehow effectively and legally castrated any government on the issue of land, in particular, but I just strongly feel that some major structural changes must take place in the near future for the sake of genuine and really inclusive growth.
No to fake peace and stability. I know without political and revolutionary will, this will remain unrealisable in our lifetime. No to more strategic failures of political leadership. Let the conversation rage on for the sake of future generations.
Armas,
Windhoek