By Lukubwe Simataa
Allow me space in your esteemed newspaper to highlight the role of adult learning in strengthening democracy and citizenship participation in Namibia.
First and foremost, replicating the uniquely western democracy in non-western countries such as Namibia has proven to be very difficult even though we are said to be doing well as we are still consolidating our democracy.
We have seen more conflicts around the world, especially in Arab nations all in the name of democracy or so they claim. Most of these conflicts are said to be instigated by the west, countries such as, the US and its allies trying to impose democracy on these nations.
The major problem in this regard is the meaning of democracy, which is contested in many sectors of these societies and the entire world.
Therefore, education has always being thought to be the answer in this regard.
However, according to Medel-Ańonuero and Mitchell (2003), “the positive correlation between education and democracy is generally taken for granted.”
This assumption has resulted in a number of government development plans (such as NDP 4), NGOs plans, university research papers and other platforms rationalising that, increased democracy in society, results in increased development.
Needless to say, many countries around the world, Namibia included have disputed this general assumption. It is based on this main reason that this paper attempts to find out how adult learning can help in strengthening democracy and citizenship participation among Namibians.
Representative democracy is a product of the historical enlightenment whose main centre of gravity was eighteenth-century France (Hannam and Wolff, 2010).
This product called democracy was rolled on to other European countries and then eventually to Northern America, where it was fully implemented or where it reached its full political realization.
In Africa, Namibia in particular, democracy and citizenship participation was wishful thinking until the 21st of March 1990 when the country attained its independence following its first democratic elections the previous year. Colonialism, which rocked the country for many decades, even centuries and the freedom struggle by SWAPO’s military wing PLAN, were both not democratic processes.
According to Keulder et al (2010), “colonial rule not only denied the majority of Namibians their basic rights and freedom, it also used brute force to suppress any political activity that did not benefit that rule.”
Therefore, as a young democracy and the adoption of a liberal constitution was a difficult process, considering the progress the country has made to date.
The new government was tasked to promote participatory development and good governance by empowering its people to contribute to national development and the democratic processes of the nation.
Though government is said to be doing quite well in this department +a lot still needs to be done, especially in bringing grassroots’ people on board in terms of citizenship participation and democracy in general.
Adult learning is thought to be a tool that can be used in this regard, as it provides a tool for encouraging active citizenship.
However, the question that remains is that to what extent adult learning is helping in strengthening democracy and active citizenship and participation among Namibians.
The Constitution of the Republic of Namibia has in place measures that ensure accountability on the side of government. These measures include good governance, democracy, the rule of law and many others.
Some people do feel that, Namibia was fortunate enough to have gained its independence in 1990, a period which marked the democratisation of most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
The creation of various bodies thereafter based on the constitution, such as, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Public Service Commission (PSC) are aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency in service delivery.
The sub-vision on democratic governance states that, “Namibia maintains, consolidates and extends the good governance practices of a multi-party democracy with high levels of participation, rights freedoms and legitimacy (under the constitution), which continue to serve as a model for other countries.”
However, Namibia has experienced lower voter turnout in the last general election as compared to elections in 1994, 1999 and 2004. Equal representation in all levels of government and political position is still very much uneven, as there are more men than women in those positions of power. This means that, Namibia is faced with representative processes that appear to be in a crisis, even for us with a well-established democracy, as compared to many African countries.
According to the UNDP Human Development Report (2002) “in the United States the turnout of registered voters in presidential elections fell from 96 percent in 1960 to 51 percent in 2000 and in the United Kingdom from 78 percent in 1992 to 59 percent in 2001.”
Now imagine the so-called best democracies or models of democracy in the world having dramatic falls in the number of participants in their elections.
Therefore, countries such as Namibia should develop vehicles for formal political participations and representation through various political parties and electoral systems such as the ECN with adult learning at the core of this process.
Furthermore, the National Policy on Adult Learning (2003) states that, “in relation to the formal processes of democracy, the government will strengthen the voter education programme of the Electoral Commission of Namibia and support civic and voter education programme by non-governmental organisations. This is an important task for government, especially this year, as it is the year of elections in our country. It is also important for our democracy as a well functioning democracy depends on well functioning political parties. In Africa, we have seen a trend of many opposition parties disappearing between elections, resulting in ruling parties taking their systems into single party systems. In Namibia, we have seen a similar trend with the Congress of Democrats (CoD) in 1999 taking over from the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), and the Rally of Democracy and Progress (RDP) in the previous elections.
Each time there is an important election; a new party springs up, the next elections it disappears. In South Africa we have recently seen the impact that was made by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as compared to the Democratic Alliance (DA) against the African National Congress (ANC).
Moreover, Southern Africa has made tremendous progress in terms of transitions to democracy. Such transitions, however, have their own characteristics and trajectories as evident in these cases, as diverse as the DRC, Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In consolidating these democracies, it does not rely only on the ballot box but on many factors such as a proper education system, proper civil service or system and others.
Citizens in this regard should operate in an environment in which there is political and economic space apart from government.
Inevitably, this enables citizens to hold their government accountable and thus have a voice, which results in enhanced citizenship participation.
Adult learning in this regard should be concerned with change. This means that, adult learning should not be neutral but rather concentrate on focusing on useful knowledge and understanding which is aimed at empowering the people to fully participate in the political and economic processes of their country. Radical adult education seeks to equip adult learners to challenge and change what are considered essentially unjust structures (Freire, 1972).
Additionally, to conclude it must be stressed that adult learning should not be considered as an end in itself, but rather as a means for adults to acquire the necessary skills resulting in them being self-reliant and being able to fully participate actively as individuals and collectively in the social, political and economic processes of the nation.
Lukubwe Simataa has a Master of Education [Lifelong Learning and Community Education] is a student at the University of Namibia [UNAM]