Racing against time
Many would like to pretend that the current government, led by Harambee advocator President Hage Geingob, wandered off the streets of Windhoek into parliament as political virgins.
And that they are hearing the cries and pleas of ordinary Namibians around land, jobs and other critical issues for the first time.
This is however not so. Nevertheless, this government must now be given an opportunity, following the country’s second land conference, to show that it has the political will to finally deal with the landless question and its associated generational poverty quagmire.
Amid the reported resolutions or recommendations, there is a need for fundamental will to be displayed, in order to bring them to fruition.
This includes the necessary monitoring and support mechanisms in this regard.
Critically, the urban land question needs to be prioritised.
The simple act of owning a home is something that appeared to be rocket science when it came to successive ruling party governments tackling this fundamental problem.
Now, with the benefit of the doubt still with Geingob, his cabinet, his A-team and coterie of supporters, we want to see action and not just kicking for touch.
What is needed is an announcement over the next few weeks and months, regarding which resolutions will be prioritised and what the monitoring mechanisms will be.
The nation’s biggest threat, along with the continued inequalities continually perpetrated – even after 28 years of independence – is populism.
Well as the least the kind of populism that will ultimately destroy the peace and stability that Geingob often crows about.
If this land conference was simply a political strategy to assuage his support base ahead of the 2019 general elections, then this kind of populism will grow, amid scant tangible action.
This is something Namibia cannot afford.
But let’s see, as Geingob and his team embarks on prioritising and implementing what was discussed over five days last week. The problem is that the hunger for land has already reached peak levels. He is racing against time.
And that they are hearing the cries and pleas of ordinary Namibians around land, jobs and other critical issues for the first time.
This is however not so. Nevertheless, this government must now be given an opportunity, following the country’s second land conference, to show that it has the political will to finally deal with the landless question and its associated generational poverty quagmire.
Amid the reported resolutions or recommendations, there is a need for fundamental will to be displayed, in order to bring them to fruition.
This includes the necessary monitoring and support mechanisms in this regard.
Critically, the urban land question needs to be prioritised.
The simple act of owning a home is something that appeared to be rocket science when it came to successive ruling party governments tackling this fundamental problem.
Now, with the benefit of the doubt still with Geingob, his cabinet, his A-team and coterie of supporters, we want to see action and not just kicking for touch.
What is needed is an announcement over the next few weeks and months, regarding which resolutions will be prioritised and what the monitoring mechanisms will be.
The nation’s biggest threat, along with the continued inequalities continually perpetrated – even after 28 years of independence – is populism.
Well as the least the kind of populism that will ultimately destroy the peace and stability that Geingob often crows about.
If this land conference was simply a political strategy to assuage his support base ahead of the 2019 general elections, then this kind of populism will grow, amid scant tangible action.
This is something Namibia cannot afford.
But let’s see, as Geingob and his team embarks on prioritising and implementing what was discussed over five days last week. The problem is that the hunger for land has already reached peak levels. He is racing against time.
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Namibian Sun
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