Namibia cannot thrive ‘on past glory alone’, president says

Namibia cannot live off the achievements of the liberation struggle forever, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said yesterday, warning that the current generation will be judged on economic delivery, not history.

Speaking at the 60th Heroes’ Day commemoration at Heroes’ Acre, Nandi-Ndaitwah said honouring those who fought for Namibia’s freedom required the country to build on their sacrifices rather than simply celebrating past achievements.

“We cannot sustain ourselves on past glory alone. We honour the past most meaningfully when we build on what those before us sacrificed to achieve,” she said.

The president’s remarks came as Namibia commemorated six decades since the start of the armed phase of the liberation struggle at Omugulugwombashe on 26 August 1966.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the generation that won independence had completed its task, leaving the current generation to answer for what it does with that freedom.

“Political freedom and sovereignty have been won. But every generation has its own struggle. Thirty-six years after independence, ours is the struggle for economic emancipation whereby we are to make use of our resources, both human and material, to take care of the wellbeing of ourselves,” she said.

“The heroes and heroines of our past fulfilled the assignment history set before them. They delivered freedom. They delivered sovereignty. They delivered Namibia into our hands. The question history will one day ask of us is simple: What did we do with it?”

She listed poverty, unemployment, inequality, inefficiency, corruption, hunger and homelessness as the defining struggles of the post-independence era, saying "the enemies before us may no longer wear military uniforms, but they are no less real."

"Those are the battles that demand the courage of the current generation.”

Nandi-Ndaitwah tied the responsibility of tackling these challenges partly to her own administration, framing the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) as a mandate to improve the lives of all Namibians.

“Through natural resource beneficiation, value addition, youth empowerment and the seven priority areas supported by our economic enablers, we must build an economy capable of improving the material conditions of the Namibian people.”

Achieving that, she said, would require investment in human capital, an efficient public service, support for farmers and entrepreneurs, and advances in research, technology and innovation.

“And above all, we must ensure that the resources and opportunities of this country translate into dignity and improved livelihoods for our people.”

Modern-day heroes

Nandi-Ndaitwah redefined heroism itself, shifting focus from those who fought for liberation to the everyday contributions ordinary Namibians make today.

She pointed to a mother who wakes early to prepare her children for school before going to the market to sell goods, a father who takes responsibility for providing for his children and an older sibling who makes personal sacrifices to keep a younger child in school.

“What about a teacher who refuses to give up on a struggling learner? What about a nurse who remains compassionate after a long, exhausting shift? Let us think of a farmer who continues to produce food despite drought and uncertainty. Think of an entrepreneur who creates jobs for fellow Namibians. What about a public servant who refuses to engage in corruption and chooses integrity, even when no one is watching?”

These contributions may never attract national attention, she said, but they still serve the nation.

“These actions may never receive medals or make newspaper headlines, but they all serve the Republic of Namibia and her people.”

Beyond sacrifice

Nandi-Ndaitwah asked Namibians to consider how future generations would judge this one.

“When future generations gather here, may they say we were worthy custodians of the freedom we inherited. May they say that when confronted with poverty, we fought it. When confronted with inequality, we reduced it. When confronted with corruption, we rejected it. When confronted with division, we chose unity. And when our moment came to place Namibia above ourselves, we did not look away.”

Heroism, she said, should not be defined by sacrifice alone.

“A hero is not simply someone remembered for how they died. A hero is also someone remembered for how they lived, whom they served, what they sacrificed, and what they left behind for others.”

She closed by calling for a Namibia where prosperity reaches households as a lived reality, not a deferred promise.

“Let us build a Namibia where peace is jealously guarded; where public service is a noble calling; where integrity is the standard; where responsibility begins with each one of us; and where prosperity is not a promise endlessly postponed but a lived reality in households across our republic.”