We have a lot to be thankful for and much more to celebrate as our young great nation turns 30 years – thirty years of us being independent, 30 years of us enjoying our hard-earned freedom, 30 years of peace and stability in the country and from recently held elections, and 30 years of good governance.
Despite our challenges and shortcomings, the country has relatively enjoyed peaceful and successful years leading to our independence celebrations – something that has not gone unnoticed by the outside world.
This has been evident by the heads of state that have joined us during our Independence celebrations, including the late great Nelson Mandela at our inception as a free nation and many others that have graced us with their presence throughout the years and continue to do so. It is a good time to be a Namibian.
The significance of the day has not been overlooked by the youth and the nation at large, even though we celebrate and rejoice like there is no tomorrow. We are well aware of the sacrifices and untold stories that led to this occasion, the unsung heroes and unnamed brave soldiers whose blood waters our freedom; we are eternally grateful for their sacrifices and commitment to this objective. No nation under the sun is perfect and Namibia is no exception; we too have faced challenges and overcame difficulties during our 30 years of independence, which is why every year that we celebrate our independence anniversary, it is always a special occasion. While we celebrate and honour those who led to the inception of our great country, we are well aware that the fight has not ended there. In an increasingly competitive and at times unpredictable world, there is still more that can and should be done to make sure an event like this does not lose its prestige and for the future generations to enjoy an even more prosperous and developed nation than what we are currently experiencing.
Even though we celebrate 30 years of independence, it is not lost on many of us that we are still one of the youngest nations in the world, but that has not deterred us in reaching some remarkable achievements in an extremely short period – something that every Namibian can be proud of. With the unlimited potential we have, we can only expect great things on our 30th Independence and for the many more anniversaries to follow.
Happy Birthday Namibia, Land of the Brave.
- Olavi Popyeinawa Twitter: olavi@olavipopyeinawa
Email: olavipopyeinawa@gmail.com