The bough isn't breaking, yet
We have made great strides as a nation, but we would be foolish to believe that things started going wrong only recently.
President Hage Geingob recently spoke at the opening of cabinet, the judiciary and parliament.
At each occasion, the president referred to those whom he believes are a threat to peace and stability.
He went as far as using examples of now war torn countries in an attempt to highlight the importance of pledging alliance to our nation and its peace and stability. President Geingob left for exile to free Namibia from South African rule, the struggle was as much about land, equality, equal access to opportunities and prosperity for all, and for many Namibians this is not reality.
They see the fruits of independence only in the fridges of others, their masters – the elite. What is peace and stability for those in rural Namibia who do not know where their next meal will come from or don't have clean drinking water – not because they are lazy or unwilling to work, but because they were seemingly forgotten? What does peace and stability mean to a young graduate who works hard and honestly, unable to own a house of his/her own yet watches as his/her uneducated peers with the right connections get rich quickly through million dollar tenders? Can people eat peace? Can they sleep in it? Everything in Namibia however, is not a story of gloom and if we all engage each other on how to do right by ourselves, instead of just hurling insults and veiled threats, things can also become much better. We need to ask ourselves what the election promises were – what was ignored and how we can deliver on those promises made.
We have a history of overcoming adversity. We beat colonialism and said never again, we have managed to establish an acceptable democracy, with its flaws, but one that we can be proud of.
Yet, our bravery should transcend our faults and we need to acknowledge the mistakes we made and do right by the poor.
President Hage Geingob recently spoke at the opening of cabinet, the judiciary and parliament.
At each occasion, the president referred to those whom he believes are a threat to peace and stability.
He went as far as using examples of now war torn countries in an attempt to highlight the importance of pledging alliance to our nation and its peace and stability. President Geingob left for exile to free Namibia from South African rule, the struggle was as much about land, equality, equal access to opportunities and prosperity for all, and for many Namibians this is not reality.
They see the fruits of independence only in the fridges of others, their masters – the elite. What is peace and stability for those in rural Namibia who do not know where their next meal will come from or don't have clean drinking water – not because they are lazy or unwilling to work, but because they were seemingly forgotten? What does peace and stability mean to a young graduate who works hard and honestly, unable to own a house of his/her own yet watches as his/her uneducated peers with the right connections get rich quickly through million dollar tenders? Can people eat peace? Can they sleep in it? Everything in Namibia however, is not a story of gloom and if we all engage each other on how to do right by ourselves, instead of just hurling insults and veiled threats, things can also become much better. We need to ask ourselves what the election promises were – what was ignored and how we can deliver on those promises made.
We have a history of overcoming adversity. We beat colonialism and said never again, we have managed to establish an acceptable democracy, with its flaws, but one that we can be proud of.
Yet, our bravery should transcend our faults and we need to acknowledge the mistakes we made and do right by the poor.
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Namibian Sun
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