EDITORIAL: People-centred policies

Namibia is squeezed under the weight of unsolicited policy advice and proposals from transnational institutions and foreign governments since the discovery of oil and green hydrogen.

While this is not a terrible thing in theory, reading between the lines reveals that many of these policy proposals are not intended to assist Namibia to regain full control of its resources. Last year, for example, it became clear that Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, which plans to create green hydrogen in the country’s south, wants to be engaged and, in fact, make input into the legislation on synthetic fuels, which would control everything linked to green hydrogen and other synthetic fuels. This shows that the German company wants to contribute to the creation of a law that will regulate it. While consultation is a normal part of the law-making process, some have expressed concerns about Hyphen’s proposal that the Synthetic Fuels Act be drafted in accordance with the feasibility and implementation agreement between Hyphen and government - when, in fact, this should be a law for the entire industry that all players must follow.

Bretton Woods organisations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have also provided guidance, with the former opposing some of the planned empowerment programmes for previously disadvantaged Namibians.

While it would be foolish for Namibians not to listen, maybe to juxtapose such views with their own, now is the moment to keep our heads up and guarantee that all policies prioritise the nation and its people above all else.