IT is a good thing that the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) have made it to parliament with two seats. And luckily SWANU also managed to hold on to its single seat.
The Landless People’s Movement with four seats will also make a good combination and add more weight to the left-leaning voices in parliament.
By the way, the ruling Swapo Party also used to be a socialist-oriented movement. A strong presence of centre-left voices might just as well sway the ruling party back to its roots.
The Namibian society has gone through a period characterized by corruption and greed not only in the offices of political power but also in institutions such as traditional authorities, religious institutions, and even the military institutions. Everyone seems to be pulling towards his own stomach.
We have seen an emergence of super rich individuals in a country that is wracked by poverty. Most of these millionaires have not done anything remarkable that may justify and explain their road to wealth. In fact most of them are a result of tenderpreneurship and their joyride on the umbilical cord between politics and business.
Namibia is one of the most unequal societies in the whole world. The country is rich but the wealth is being enjoyed by only a small section of the population. Poverty and unemployment have risen to the levels that even the educated people are not able to explain.
How can you possibly explain a situation where a big country with such a small population is unable to feed itself? How can you explain the situation whereby a country with such abundant natural resources is unable to build houses for its people?
The answer lies in the kind of leadership which cares more for money than for people. How can you elect capitalists to be your representatives in parliament yet you expect them to work for workers’ interests?
The current fishing scandal is proof that the resources of Namibia continue to be enjoyed by people in other countries while the owners of these resources are going to bed hungry, all because the political leaders have put self-interest ahead of national interest.
This newspaper is socially-oriented, committed to bringing about a social consciousness, collective interest, and promoting small business, social entrepreneurship and state-owned enterprises.
So that it will be pulling towards the left, because that is where our hope is.
Caption: Around half of the population of Windhoek live in these corrugated iron structures – yet Namibia has diamonds, uranium, copper, the best beef in the world, the best fish, etc.
