Self-importance overshadows real needs
The pomp and ceremony our elected officials insist on whenever they deliver a speech underlines their sometimes wilful ignorance of the optics they create for Namibians in desperate need of quality medical care, education, jobs and more.
In a country that could do with a few less speeches, and a whole lot more work by elected officials, costly official events arranged around one or two central speeches, have become untenable and offensive.
In most cases these events merely serve to cut down on productivity, money and patience. Why not cut down on podium time and instead share information with citizens, online, in a more tech-savvy, smart way with the endless possibilities offered to us in this day and age? Sure, not a lot of money would be saved overall if we scrapped 99% of official events, centred around over-long, mostly meaningless recitals of what has been said a hundred times before. But, in our current economic situation, every cent counts. And every citizen should count too. If one cancelled event could buy food for one family, or provide school books and clothes to one or two children, or provide chronic medicine to a vulnerable citizen, it would be worth it.
Surely, any genuine, humble politician would agree that swopping your fifteen minutes of limelight behind the podium and instead donating those budgeted funds to a person or family in need, is the more ethical thing, to do. Do right by your citizens.
Let go of your ego, and use modern technology in all its forms to stay in touch with citizens, to share information and to remain transparent and accessible.
Then get down to work, and start implementing all those strategies you list in your over-zealous, over-long speeches, many of which we just either don't see enacted or receive feedback on. Don't tell us from the podium how you mean to cut down poverty, create jobs, improve health and education services and the countless other issues in need of urgent attention. Step back from the podium, cancel the overpriced, tax-funded flower arrangements for the top table, and show Namibians you respect their vote, their rights and their dignity!
In a country that could do with a few less speeches, and a whole lot more work by elected officials, costly official events arranged around one or two central speeches, have become untenable and offensive.
In most cases these events merely serve to cut down on productivity, money and patience. Why not cut down on podium time and instead share information with citizens, online, in a more tech-savvy, smart way with the endless possibilities offered to us in this day and age? Sure, not a lot of money would be saved overall if we scrapped 99% of official events, centred around over-long, mostly meaningless recitals of what has been said a hundred times before. But, in our current economic situation, every cent counts. And every citizen should count too. If one cancelled event could buy food for one family, or provide school books and clothes to one or two children, or provide chronic medicine to a vulnerable citizen, it would be worth it.
Surely, any genuine, humble politician would agree that swopping your fifteen minutes of limelight behind the podium and instead donating those budgeted funds to a person or family in need, is the more ethical thing, to do. Do right by your citizens.
Let go of your ego, and use modern technology in all its forms to stay in touch with citizens, to share information and to remain transparent and accessible.
Then get down to work, and start implementing all those strategies you list in your over-zealous, over-long speeches, many of which we just either don't see enacted or receive feedback on. Don't tell us from the podium how you mean to cut down poverty, create jobs, improve health and education services and the countless other issues in need of urgent attention. Step back from the podium, cancel the overpriced, tax-funded flower arrangements for the top table, and show Namibians you respect their vote, their rights and their dignity!
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Namibian Sun
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