Adapt or die
The year 2017 has been predicted as an eventful one by many.
From a political point of view there is no doubt that the much-anticipated Swapo elective congress towards the end of the year is one of the more interesting events to look forward to.
As the ruling party, Swapo still commands huge support across the country and there is no glaring indication suggesting that its support is waning compared to its sister, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.
With well-oiled machinery it is unlikely that the ruling party will set itself on the slippery slope of self-destruction, especially in a congress year like this one. However, it is worth mentioning that the party must now adapt to a new kind of politics guided by the changing circumstances.
This paradigm shift should equally be embraced by the opposition parties in our country, unless your organisation is called the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), which was basically another political project that is now long gone and buried.
The main opposition party has really done well under the youthful McHenry Venaani. It is one party that has presented alternatives to the national discourse.
They made the right noises on education, the state of the economy and not to forget the impressive address of the 'Real State of the Namibian Nation', which Venaani delivered last year.
Sadly other parties have become impotent.
The least said about parties like RDP and CoD, the better.
The All People's Party is really trying here and there to be relevant, but its voice is not loud enough.
Nudo has been taking on government, especially on the land bill debacle, but it is the party's contribution when it comes to other national programmes and issues that remain unclear. The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) is still embroiled in leadership battles and there appears to be no end in sight.
It will also be interesting to see how the WRP fight for the ex-South-West African Territorial Force (SWATF) and Koevoet fighters will pan out. The year 2017 is going to be a make or break year for most of the opposition parties and it is high time that they strategise and position themselves as worthy contenders for power one day.
From a political point of view there is no doubt that the much-anticipated Swapo elective congress towards the end of the year is one of the more interesting events to look forward to.
As the ruling party, Swapo still commands huge support across the country and there is no glaring indication suggesting that its support is waning compared to its sister, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.
With well-oiled machinery it is unlikely that the ruling party will set itself on the slippery slope of self-destruction, especially in a congress year like this one. However, it is worth mentioning that the party must now adapt to a new kind of politics guided by the changing circumstances.
This paradigm shift should equally be embraced by the opposition parties in our country, unless your organisation is called the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), which was basically another political project that is now long gone and buried.
The main opposition party has really done well under the youthful McHenry Venaani. It is one party that has presented alternatives to the national discourse.
They made the right noises on education, the state of the economy and not to forget the impressive address of the 'Real State of the Namibian Nation', which Venaani delivered last year.
Sadly other parties have become impotent.
The least said about parties like RDP and CoD, the better.
The All People's Party is really trying here and there to be relevant, but its voice is not loud enough.
Nudo has been taking on government, especially on the land bill debacle, but it is the party's contribution when it comes to other national programmes and issues that remain unclear. The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) is still embroiled in leadership battles and there appears to be no end in sight.
It will also be interesting to see how the WRP fight for the ex-South-West African Territorial Force (SWATF) and Koevoet fighters will pan out. The year 2017 is going to be a make or break year for most of the opposition parties and it is high time that they strategise and position themselves as worthy contenders for power one day.
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Namibian Sun
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