Namibia did not, in my view, immediately post-independence start its economic journey on a very good note.

Coming fresh from the war for national independence, the nation did not have the technical capacity or know-how to wage the new economic battle or struggle that was before it. 

 The leaders then somehow, directly and indirectly, gave the fate of the nation to the wind to steer its economic direction, as it became every man and woman for themselves, and God for us all. 

 At this juncture, we should take note that Swapo, due to its 

significant historic political role, won a two-thirds parliamentary majority to right the historic wrongs –  but to this day, the nation seems to be regressing rather than progressing.

 That grand political opportunity for over 20 years post-independence gave the ruling party the absolute power to ensure that the majority eventually directly benefitted from the nation’s natural resource blessings and all related.

The government tendering procurement process and systems were, from the onset, not significantly in favour of the previously disadvantaged majority, but more for those close to power and access to capital. 

That significant oversight or setback has cost the nation valuable time.

Consequently, many young people, especially the born-frees, now find themselves in destitution and hopelessness.

 These are, in my view, key economic decisions or failures 

within the first 10 years of independence that contributed significantly to our dismal manufacturing base.

Namibia has failed to delink from the South African Rand. It is extremely dangerous to politically fight for land or independence, yet still want to depend on your neighbour to economically feed you, or depend on others to feed you. 

Namibia, aspiring for total independence for over 100 years, was a good enough reason to not significantly depend on any other nation for economic survival. 

As once bitten many times, twice shy, Namibia, like Botswana, was supposed to immediately ensure post-independence that its economic destiny is truly in the hands of its people ,without any fear or favour towards anyone.

That significant setback or oversight post-independence cemented the South African industrial base’s ability to consolidate itself over the years through very well-established supply chain networks. 

It is now extremely difficult to compete against them on various fronts. 

Had the liberation movement done otherwise to deliberately de-link, many abled Namibians could have overfilled the basic industrial manufacturing bases, which, as a consequence, the nation could by now be a medium- to large-scale manufacturing state of note.

 Compounding this state of 

affairs was the lack of a clear mining policy or position for the direct benefit of the country and its people.

Knowing very well that the 

nation is endowed with natural resources, the leaders at that time could have backed up its sovereign currency against its existing natural resources, including its wide marine resources. 

The country, mining-wise, started on a very good note by achieving a significant shareholding in Consolidated Diamond Mining (now Namdeb), a mining model that it could have extended to its other mineral resource endowments. 

Through such an aggressive imposition, Namibia could have established new national mining entities such as NamGold, NamUranium, NamCopper, NamZinc, NamOil and many others in conjunction with very well-established foreign mining entities to explore and mine those minerals for the core benefit of the nation and its people. 

This mining model would have led to many local product and
service suppliers directly supporting those specific mining industries.

 Furthermore, the failure to successfully establish truly indigenous banking and financial services has led to its current dismal economic situation.

Capital is one of the critical factors in production, which unfortunately is not in the hands of locals. 

Capital is the seed for business establishment and growth. 

Because of the current realities, most banking profits derived locally are exported in broad daylight back to foreign bases. 

 This led to the politicisation of the Namibian public. Namibia has become such a divided, politicised or brainwashed society that it does not think anymore as a singular unit on truly broad-based economic solutions for its survival. 

Domestic politics has so completely divided the nation, families and friends that it takes up so much time, while a certain minority continues to 

economically benefit from its natural resource blessings. 

So, somehow, the ruling party has seriously failed to unite the nation through the One Namibia, One Nation ideology so much that foreign business entities in broad daylight dominate our mining, construction, banking, retail and fuel supply sectors, amongst many others.

What is even worse is that the Chinese have even entered our domestic retail market to supply essentials. 

To make matters worse, tenderpreneurs have failed to transition into industrialists.

Since independence, a number of black entrepreneurs have been economically empowered with all kinds of government, regional governments and parastatal 

tenders (construction of roads, schools and clinics), IT hardware and software, fuel supplies, food supplies, furniture, stationery, vehicles and all related equipment, yet none of them have transitioned into manufacturing industrialists. 

This significant setback, 34 years after independence, is a serious transgression towards our industrialisation aspiration,s or agenda as a nation. 

Also, there is a lack of succession planning across all aspects of our political and economic landscape. 

Namibia is facing a very serious leadership crisis across all aspects of life, and no one can articulate clear, achievable goals for the broad benefit of the nation. 

This truth or reality affirms that the nation is currently at nature’s mercy, and that all are on their own to survive.

Lastly, Namibians, especially black Namibians, do not have Ubuntu within themselves to financially support others with 

their business ideas. 

This is across families and
friends. They will rather buy you a beer than invest in you, but they will be the first to come to bury you – just to make sure you are truly gone. 

In the final analysis, our mindset and cultural inheritance, as a nation, are not seriously aligned to achieve any significant manufacturing base in the next 20 to 50 years ,unless a truly peaceful economic revolution with Ubuntu as a central local theme occurs.

*Pendapala Hangala writes as a modern-day nationalist.