Editorial: Resource ownership requires more than rhetoric
Recent calls by some lawmakers for Namibians to take greater ownership of the mining, oil and gas sectors stem from genuine frustrations.
The minerals are ours, and the benefits should not bypass the people.
But without the structure and capability to manage that ownership, it risks becoming a symbolic move with little real impact.
The idea of nationalising natural resources has been floated before, not just in Namibia.
Across the continent, there are countless examples where promising black-owned businesses failed, not due to a lack of vision, but because of weak systems, poor planning and inadequate leadership.
We should not forget Zambia’s failed copper nationalisation and Zimbabwe’s indigenisation collapse, the DRC’s mismanaged Gécamines and Nigeria’s troubled oil sector. Examples that show resource control without strong institutions, skills and accountability often lead to economic ruin rather than empowerment.
If Namibia is to benefit meaningfully from its resources, the foundation must be solid. This means educating and mentoring, building institutions that prioritise transparency and accountability and ensuring local ownership comes with real skills and operational knowledge. It also means ensuring that empowerment schemes benefit ordinary Namibians, not just a connected few.
Ownership should not be reduced to shareholding alone. Our people must be trained not just to extract value but to sustain it – long after the last ounce of ore has been removed.
True ownership is not about grand declarations. It is about capacity, discipline and vision. If we want a bigger share of the cake, we must also learn how to bake it and ensure it feeds more than just a privileged few. That is where the focus must be.
The minerals are ours, and the benefits should not bypass the people.
But without the structure and capability to manage that ownership, it risks becoming a symbolic move with little real impact.
The idea of nationalising natural resources has been floated before, not just in Namibia.
Across the continent, there are countless examples where promising black-owned businesses failed, not due to a lack of vision, but because of weak systems, poor planning and inadequate leadership.
We should not forget Zambia’s failed copper nationalisation and Zimbabwe’s indigenisation collapse, the DRC’s mismanaged Gécamines and Nigeria’s troubled oil sector. Examples that show resource control without strong institutions, skills and accountability often lead to economic ruin rather than empowerment.
If Namibia is to benefit meaningfully from its resources, the foundation must be solid. This means educating and mentoring, building institutions that prioritise transparency and accountability and ensuring local ownership comes with real skills and operational knowledge. It also means ensuring that empowerment schemes benefit ordinary Namibians, not just a connected few.
Ownership should not be reduced to shareholding alone. Our people must be trained not just to extract value but to sustain it – long after the last ounce of ore has been removed.
True ownership is not about grand declarations. It is about capacity, discipline and vision. If we want a bigger share of the cake, we must also learn how to bake it and ensure it feeds more than just a privileged few. That is where the focus must be.
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Namibian Sun
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