EDITORIAL: Local content or local capture?
Namibians are right to be cautious about the draft national upstream petroleum local content policy. On paper, it is a commendable initiative aimed at ensuring Namibians benefit from the country’s oil and gas windfall. But in practice, it risks going the way of many other “noble” policies: hijacked by the usual politically connected suspects.
The evidence is all around us. Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) was conceived as a corrective tool to dismantle apartheid-era economic exclusion. Instead, it has become a ladder for the well-placed few, enriching those with political capital while leaving the majority empty-handed. If you are pitch-black like a midnight with no stars - and fall squarely within the “previously disadvantaged” category - you still don’t count in Namibia’s BEE equation. Being black alone is not enough – you must have political connections too.
The proposed petroleum local content policy risks becoming a replay of that betrayal. Its emphasis on previously disadvantaged Namibians raises red flags, because the real challenge lies with those who are currently disadvantaged. The average Joe Sixpack from Tses or Katima Mulilo may not have a registered company or the necessary skills to bid for contracts. And that is precisely the loophole the elite hope to exploit.
The policy should not necessarily exclude the wealthy or the already empowered, but it must tilt heavily towards uplifting the truly downtrodden. Otherwise, it becomes yet another mechanism for recycling privilege.
Former energy minister Tom Alweendo warned about this when he demanded “radical transparency” in implementing the policy. Without it, he says Namibia risks another Fishrot - or worse, an Oilrot. We agree with him. The petroleum boom presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform lives. But if capture trumps fairness, the wealth will not trickle down.
The evidence is all around us. Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) was conceived as a corrective tool to dismantle apartheid-era economic exclusion. Instead, it has become a ladder for the well-placed few, enriching those with political capital while leaving the majority empty-handed. If you are pitch-black like a midnight with no stars - and fall squarely within the “previously disadvantaged” category - you still don’t count in Namibia’s BEE equation. Being black alone is not enough – you must have political connections too.
The proposed petroleum local content policy risks becoming a replay of that betrayal. Its emphasis on previously disadvantaged Namibians raises red flags, because the real challenge lies with those who are currently disadvantaged. The average Joe Sixpack from Tses or Katima Mulilo may not have a registered company or the necessary skills to bid for contracts. And that is precisely the loophole the elite hope to exploit.
The policy should not necessarily exclude the wealthy or the already empowered, but it must tilt heavily towards uplifting the truly downtrodden. Otherwise, it becomes yet another mechanism for recycling privilege.
Former energy minister Tom Alweendo warned about this when he demanded “radical transparency” in implementing the policy. Without it, he says Namibia risks another Fishrot - or worse, an Oilrot. We agree with him. The petroleum boom presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform lives. But if capture trumps fairness, the wealth will not trickle down.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article