EDITORIAL: Heroism must now be measured by what we build

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s Heroes’ Day message that Namibia must not live on past glory should mark an important shift in how the country defines service, sacrifice and leadership.

The liberation struggle shaped the country we inherited, and we must never forget those who sacrificed for independence. Their struggle, however, was ultimately about creating a country capable of building a better future. As Nandi-Ndaitwah said, Namibia “cannot sustain ourselves on past glory alone”.

That principle must extend beyond speeches. Liberation credentials have, for decades, carried considerable weight in determining who is entrusted with public responsibility. Namibia must now open more doors to capable people whose credentials are competence, integrity, qualifications, ideas and the ability to deliver, even when they have no liberation-war history.

That does not erase history but honours its purpose and ensures that independence continues producing opportunities for generations that came afterwards.

The battles Nandi-Ndaitwah identified - poverty, unemployment, inequality, corruption and institutional inefficiency - demand different skills, fresh thinking and a broader pool of Namibians. Namibia must remember what shaped it, learn from that sacrifice, and preserve its history, while ensuring yesterday’s struggle does not become a barrier.