The way forward - the struggle continues

Pendapala Hangala writes: The way forward is that Namibia will eventually emerge victorious in its economic war. The struggle that was started against imperialism and apartheid about 100 years ago is not yet over until the true Namibian Dream of total freedom from economic exploitation, social injustice and ignorance is achieved. I think we somehow and somewhere let our guard down after 1998 and are now beginning to witness the economic suffering, social injustice and hardship of the majority of our people which was never supposed to be the case. We have lost focus and it will be a very tall order to get out of the hole the nation currently finds itself in. But all hope is not lost. The second phase of the struggle should continue with the same vigour, determination and solidarity that were exerted during the fight for our political freedom. People should note that political victory and partial independence was only achieved after more than 100 years of persistency and the consistent demand for our freedom to determine our own destiny. Why partial independence? That’s because we are not in control of the economic part of the struggle and that’s a fact. The struggle towards industrialisation with low unemployment levels and persistent economic growth could also take some time but with determination and team work, this process can be tremendously shortened. And for this we need an economic leadership at the highest level of office. For the purpose of progress and solidarity, I will not particularly blame the Namibian government for the sad state of economic dependency and exploitation that the nation is in but the Namibian people themselves. And that’s because with freedom, peace and economic prosperity comes responsibility from every citizen to play their part to maintain and sustain that freedom, peace and prosperity. This statement falls within what the late President of the United States of America, John F. Kennedy muttered about 51 years ago that “My fellow citizens, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country”. What you do for your country is truly the way forward. Namibians know their true social and economic rights, and as natural born fighters they will not in the medium to long term let their country go deep down the drain. The way forward truly lies in the hands of the youth to seriously determine if they want Namibia to be a prosperous and industrialised nation or a lazy, dependent nation of alcoholics, beggars and criminals. The way forward will also depend on a few people who have the passion and desire to see Namibia succeed and reach its goals to be a prosperous and industrious nation, a peaceful and united Namibia. Please note that not all people directly fought for independence but are now indirectly enjoying what freedom and peace brings. The 20/80 rule also applies here. The way forward demands that we rely less on foreigners for our own economic development and to trust our own people to develop the country. It is a great pity that billions of Namibia dollars leave the country at the expense of the electorates while Namibians have the capacity to undertake any or all capital projects to develop the country. The way forward demands that GRN significantly supports the local economy through purchasing of locally-made products and services and to ensure that 90% of all public tenders go to Namibian companies. The Government should fire all deadwood ministers and any other persons in position of power that are failing Namibia with immediate effect. These are the people failing the Swapo Party, the nation at large and are the reason the nation is in the sad state it finds itself in. The way forward is that the Mighty Swapo Party will win next year’s general election, placing more emphasis on development and empowerment of the people in terms of mass employment creation, transfer of economic resources (tenders) and delivery of basic services on a massive scale. The way forward is that Vision 2030 is achievable and failure in that regard could be a disaster.