Caring about corruption a luxury

Several analysts are of the view that this year's elections will not be affected in any way by the levels of corruption Namibia experiences.

Even though that corruption directly impacts their lives.

According to Unam political science professor Lesley Blaauw, “Our primary concern in Namibia would be people that are still loyal to parties; we do not vote necessarily on issues.

“The issue of corruption would be a great concern in a developed country, but in a developing country it is not a big issue.

“When people see how it affects them, I think that is when we will see a change in the voting patterns.”

The problem is, the average Namibian is too busy hustling to survive and put bread on the table to worry about how corruption affects him or her.

We have become so used to abject poverty, either seeing it or living it, that it does not elicit much of a response anymore.

How do you expect a person to give a damn about who looted this or that ministry with this or that tender when that person has no shelter, no guaranteed meal tonight and no way to care for his or her family.

Can one honestly think that the single mother who gets up long before the crack of dawn to make her way to her street corner to sell vetkoek so she can buy school supplies and food for her children cares about corruption?

She is far too concerned about whether her daughters will get home safely from school without being attacked or raped, or their school bags stolen.

She too must keep a watchful eye for those who would want to come and take her day's earnings, earnings which she desperately needs to get by, to buy supplies to sell again tomorrow.

She does not care.

And so, the corrupt will continue to flourish and the poor will continue to languish.