Editorial: F for broken promises

President Hage Geingob’s appeal to world leaders last week to end what has been coined ‘vaccine apartheid’ and to ensure fair distribution of vaccines was a necessary one.During the same week, United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres described the inequitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines as an "obscenity".“This is a moral indictment of the state of our world. It is an obscenity. We passed the science test. But we are getting an F in ethics.”While we examine and bemoan the inequality on a global scale, we should perhaps take the opportunity to reflect on home-grown inequalities.An honest examination of the stark divide between Namibia’s rich and poor could adequately be described as obscene and a moral indictment of the minority of haves versus the majority of have-nots.We deserve an F for ethics and broken promises. Two years ago, Geingob declared the living conditions in which hundreds of thousands of Namibians live in informal settlements a humanitarian crisis and their living conditions inhumane. An honest reflection that was necessary and urgent.And yet, the slums continue to grow, and more and more Namibians live without access to the very basics. Food scarcity has worsened since the pandemic began, but was a problem long before.Those on the ground say very little progress has been made in the past two years by government to address this crisis on a human scale.It’s good to take a stand at inequality in a time of crisis. We must just make sure we do it at home too.

Editorial: F for broken promises

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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Editorial: F for broken promises

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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