EDITORIAL: How much is enough?

A parliamentary committee&#039;s push for war veterans to be accorded more benefits has the potential to spark unwanted socioeconomic upheaval.The parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and security went to Zimbabwe to benchmark, and instead of addressing developmental issues that cater to the entire populace, one of their learning points from the trip was that the government should allocate 20% of dividends from natural resources to the War Veterans Fund.It also prompts one to revisit Robert Skidelsky&#039;s and his philosopher son Edward&#039;s book titled &#039;How Much Is Enough?&#039;In the book, which draws heavily on Keynes&#039;s stance on what constitutes the threshold of a decent life, it is argued that the modern world is characterised by insatiability, an inability to say enough is enough, and the desire for more and more resources.After all, our government has spent billions on the upkeep of war vets, and it continues to still cater for their livelihoods, despite a huge chunk of the population being left to fend for themselves.Despite the gratitude and admiration we have for our war veterans for the role they played in liberating our country, one is tempted to ask: How much is enough and how much should we still pay for their sacrifices?Our current model, as far as war veterans are concerned, is not sustainable in the long run simply because a huge chunk of the country’s financial resources is being used to cater for a small group instead of benefitting a larger segment of the population. These types of interventions also do not align with our industrialisation agenda as a country.

EDITORIAL: How much is enough?

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-14

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EDITORIAL: How much is enough?

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-14

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