EDITORIAL: Walking the San journey backwards

We need a coordinated development strategy for the San and other marginalised communities in our country. Just like the liberation struggle was waged on multiple fronts such as militarily and diplomatically, so too should other post-independence socio-economic wars.It is paradoxical that despite decades of government efforts to pull the San out of poverty, the bulk of them still appear to lack official national identification credentials, which are ironically issued by the state. As a Legal Assistance Centre study concluded back in 2016 already, stateless persons are among the world’s most vulnerable populations. They often cannot access public services, obtain identification documents, leave or return to their home country, stand for public office, enrol their children in school, own property or even work legally. As a result, they often live in poverty. They are further often unable to transfer a nationality to their children or spouse, which may continue the cycle of statelessness and poverty. How can government stand on a pedestal and tell the world that it’s doing something about the San, when the majority cannot even get a job on the mere basis of not be recognised as Namibians? No one can win a war against poverty when the very catalysts for socio-economic emancipation are not in place. The San do not only exist to be spoon-fed state-sponsored mealie pap and cans of pilchards. They want to stand on their own feet and pursue life goals like all citizens.

EDITORIAL: Walking the San journey backwards

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-15

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EDITORIAL: Walking the San journey backwards

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-15

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