EDITORIAL: A nation of daydreamers

We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it until someone listens: Namibia desperately needs a culture of hard work. Not Instagram reels about hustle. Real, roll-up-your-sleeves, break-a-sweat kind of work.Look eastward – to China, to Japan – where economies once in ruins now tower among the world&#039;s giants. These were not overnight miracles. They were built, brick by brick, by men and women who worked longer, harder and with fewer complaints than we dare imagine.Namibia? We’ve chosen a different path. Here, we clock in late, stroll the corridors like it&#039;s a Sunday picnic, and sneak out by 16:00 – a full hour before the workday ends. Ask the average employee why they&#039;re leaving early, and you’ll be served a buffet of excuses. From traffic being bad at five to running personal errands in town.On Wednesday, barely 24 hours into her new post, the newly appointed Secretary to Cabinet, Emilia Mkusa, issued a memo directing most government employees to clock out at 10:00. Two hours of work – if they even showed up on time.Sure, the instruction was for a reason. But is it too much to ask that public servants, who are paid by a struggling nation, work at least half a day?Then comes May, a month littered with public holidays. It might as well be declared a national month of rest. But here&#039;s the uncomfortable truth: Namibia cannot afford this level of idleness. Not when poverty stalks our streets. Not when youth unemployment is a ticking bomb. We are a country on permanent pause. A nation that romanticises leisure while the economy gasps for air.No great nation ever rose by snoozing through opportunity. And we, frankly, are still in bed.

EDITORIAL: A nation of daydreamers

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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EDITORIAL: A nation of daydreamers

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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