Rising poverty levels faced daily among the majority of the country’s small population of slightly over two million are in stark contrast to the fabulous natural resources of Namibia, among them gold, diamonds, uranium, copper, marine fisheries, forestry resources and an abundance of labour.
After Namibia attained its independence on 21 March 1990 policymakers have on their part introduced diverse measures to economically empower blacks previously left out – but this has not been enough as these schemes have been for a few, leaving the majority to languish in poverty.
However, the government deserves praise for ensuring there is a vibrant democracy; it has maintained peace and stability and rolled out infrastructure development, building new schools and health facilities, giving land to the landless, but income inequality and widespread poverty remain a ticking time bomb.
The allocation of fishing rights and quotas should be done fairly beyond partisan politics lest there is polarisation of a section of the population which could only create unnecessary general resentment.
Non-partisan principles of fairness should be applied in the allocation of mining licenses to make Namibia a nation of patriots, a thriving nation where everyone is valued irrespective of their party political or religious affiliation. These God-given resources should give government leverage to ensure many deserving Namibians enjoy the riches bequeathed on their country by the Almighty.
The inequality in the economic sphere affecting mainly the jobless youth who have become resentful should be addressed in a systematic manner so that it doesnt haunt our future generations. It is a fact poverty vis-à-vis economic inequality breeds resentment resultant in insecurity.
The Namibian House of inclusion should as a matter of urgency address a myriad of socio-economic issues, including the lack of housing among struggling urbanites. This segment of the population seems condemned to live in corrugated-iron sheet shacks with no toilets, no running water or electricity.
Government continues to create enabling legislation and constantly gravitates towards removing bottlenecks to ensure Namibia ranks among African countries with investor-friendly policies.
And President Hage Geingob deserves salutations reducing the size of his Cabinet though his critics feel he should do something about the public sector wage bill and the size of parliament.
Another notable cost-cutting measure that cannot go without note is partially taking away fuel-guzzling all-terrain vehicles from those who will be appointed as ministers. This cost-cutting should go further by curbing unessential and costly foreign travel in government post-coronavirus.