Suppose I am the president

By Jefrey BJ Shapange

In our daily lives, we dream of certain things, hoping to pursue them with age. It is also within my rights to title this article as though I were the CEO of Namibia. If I were president I would strive to accomplish these three major things which I think have been long overdue in our beloved land of the brave.

First, I would strengthen our education system, provide ha ome to every willing Namibian who works hard to provide. Giving them not a shelter but a place they can truly call home. We must be frank enough to acknowledge that the education system in Namibia is not one on which we can all be very proud. Yes, Namibia has good schools, colleges, and higher learning institutions such as Nust, IUM and the University of Namibia, which is the biggest institution in the country. It is however shocking that they run like a private school, one where students’ voices are kept silent under the pretext of “peace and stability”, but our standards are not set as high as other countries like South Africa, Egypt or even the West.

For instance, our country does not fund our schools adequately; the education system needs to be revamped. Teachers teach without enough books, have no supplies needed to excel, libraries have undusted shelves with books that are often over 20 years old. How can we expect our children to be up to date with the world’s information if our teaching materials are not of recent publications? Our children are taught how locusts reproduce, while in other countries, children are taught how to connect laptops to a neighbour’s WiFi. Often teachers in our public schools are forced to buy text books and supplies for their children with their own money. Why do they do this? Because they believe in a good education for all learners. Our country "prides" itself on the quality of education a person can receive here, yet teachers are one of the lowest paid professionals in the country. These teachers then lack the motivation required to succeed.

Teachers were promised an increment of 9% this year, what happened? The politicians are rather interested in hiking their salaries with 6%. Ironically, the same government that sings the chorus of the “country has no money”, is the same government that without shame hikes “their” salaries. Tate Butti sings “is the problem in the system, or is the system in the problem?” One concerned citizen once asked, does the country really have money, or does it only have money for corruption? It’s crazy but this is the reality on the ground.

If I were president, I would also make sure that everyone in this country has a place to call home. Before one is a president, one is a human being - made of blood, flesh and bones with the help of oxygen. There are certain necessities that a compound of flesh, bones and blood needs to have: that is land or a home. Our homeless people are suffering. A president should know that living in a shack is not a house at all. McHenry Venaani can assure it. I would rather spend on housing than on the food bank. I would rather address the cause of poverty than trying so hard to eradicate poverty by giving people cheap tinned food and Top Score maize meal. What is the use of giving my child food, while he has no place to study? That makes no sense. These children do not have access to sanitation, water, electricity and even playgrounds where they can enjoy their childhood.

I believe housing is the best medicine to end poverty in our country. Our community fears for their lives everyday as men and women in uniform continuously use vulgar language towards them as they destroy their “homesteads”. They are trying to make a living for themselves, many of them are sitting on the so-called “municipality waiting list" since 1999 and 2000, almost two decades on the waiting list. The gap of those with resources continues to widen – growing away from those with nothing. Land allocation continues in the old traditional way, with the haves always benefiting at the expense of the have-nots.

The City of Windhoek continues to deliberately not service land for its residents. Service delivery is moving at a snail’s pace, this can be proven by the process of how Goreangab Ext. 4 is going. It is not even at 10% since 2015 when the site was handed over. There are many people ready to service townships in and out of Windhoek, yet the management and council remains silent and hides behind budgets. Look at townships in Tsumeb, Oshakati, Keetmanshop, Walvis Bay… the lack of politicians’ commitment is forever vivid. They are busy fighting for their lives as the November congress is slowly drawing close.

If I were the president, I will address these issues just like how the Philippines did, just like how Cuba did it, just like Venezuela did. We could dream of a true Namibia, where the creed of land of the brave is felt by an everyday Namibian.

*Jefrey Shapange is a fourth-year Education student the University of Namibia. He serves as SRC for External Affairs.