Yours Truly Ideologically- Fourth Installment:Â Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Has independence heralded the Second Phase of the Namibian Revolution and what is the nature and character of this Revolution?
Last time this columnist ended with this pertinent question. A question that Namibians must continue to ponder and unpack if her avowed developmental trajectory has to assume real revolutionary meaning. Underlining this question is another one whether there has been anything akin to a Namibian Revolution, at any point ever, pre-liberation war, during the war itself and after, when the radical transformation of the pre-independence socio-economic system must have been contemplated, let alone idealised with.
If such was ever contemplated by the Namibian Revolution or a Second Phase of the African (Namibian) Revolution, and ala African ideologue and revolutionary transformationist, Dr Kennet Goabomang Koma, by now ideally it must have begun. But for Namibia this has as yet to begin. How long and when before Namibia earnestly, purposefully and meaningfully embarks on a radical socio-economic transformation? And what does it take? Is the current breed and cohort of politicians well disposed towards such a transformation? Ideologically and otherwise?
To get a better understanding and perspective of Namibia’s revolutionary inclination, commitment and dedication, it is instructive to look at the ingredients of the Namibian anti-colonial struggle, which are the various social forces that contributed to Namibian independence, and probably that may have catapulted it on to the revolutionary plain, theoretically or ideally.
These are the social classes in colonial Namibia. These are the working class or the proletariat; the peasantry, the petty bourgeoisie and the national bourgeoisie. These various social classes, needless to say, was and could from a class perspective, not have been a homogenous grouping, or whole in terms of social or economic interests or class interests. However, they were united by the love for the motherland/fatherland; and against exploitation by the imperialists and colonialists, and love of independence and liberty.
Because of their varying vantage, and/or disadvantaged positions for some if not all, and thus interests in the colonial socio-economic set up or system, their diifering burden from the system is different. And as corollary also their motivation, urge and even courage to dispose of it and overthrow it. In fact some members of this grouping, because of their vantage position within the system, became co-oppressors of their presumed lesser Namibians because of their lesser socio-economic standing. Thus becoming collaborators and perpetrators, though unconscious and unwilling for some, of the oppressive colonial and imperialist socio-economic system.
Bearing the greater burden in colonial capitalist were the urban workers as well as the workers in the communal hinterlands of the country. This is a situation which is till very much prevalent in modern day Namibia. In a presumably free Namibia. But where workers and fellow oppressed classes cannot be free and are not free from the neo-colonial capitalist exploitative socio-economic system pertaining.
These socio-economic classes, which combined in varying degrees to bring about Namibian independence, are what post-colonial Namibia inherited. And there has been no fundamental change in the configuration of these socio-economic classes. Obviously in the first place there was and there has been no common class interests among and between them. Other than what has been already alluded to, the love for the mother/fatherland. Secondly, there has been little in terms of ideological agitation. Even among and by the significant groups in terms of class interests, the workers or the proletariat who had the most to lose in terms of tearing asunder the neo-colonial-capitalists system, and thereby for good unshackling the capitalist chains .
Be that as it may have been, and given the pertaining post-colonial set up, where the pre-colonial class configuration have been continuing, leaving as much the socio-economic system intact, with no fundamental transformation, can one really speak of the African (Namibian) Revolution having been betrayed? Betrayed by whom? And what pre-liberation and even post-liberation struggle era treatise has been betrayed by either the Swapo Party of Namibia or Swanu of Namibia, if in the first place there was no commitment to any ideology for the fundamental transformation or radical overhaul of the pre-colonial socio-economic system, which the post-colonial Namibia has inherited?
How can we hold those who spearheaded the Namibian liberation struggle accountable, and to what, if all if not most of us were driven by the love of the mother/fatherland without any commitment to a reconstruction plan? A plan with an ideological perspective and ideologically inspired. As opposed to the ideologically hollow political slogans like liberty, justice and freedom. All of which ring hollow in terms of socio-economic transformation, and the practical and meaningful liberation of the masses of Namibia from the yoke of capitalist exploitation.
If the essence of National Resistance and Liberation, the classic Democratic Revolution, was democracy, than the country is in dire need of redefining, if not refining her democratic principles and edifices. That is what the current political principals must be held to account to. There is a need to go back to the drawing board and ideologically define the essence and content of Namibian independence. Posing the pertinent question if The Second Phase of the African Revolution Has Now Begun, ala Dr Koma. Reflecting in the process if in Namibia, pre-independence or after the anti-colonial struggle, there was ever any other phase intended, and for what? If such was ever intended has it begun and when did it begun. If it has begun what are the manifestations of such a beginning in current Namibia in terms of the beginning of the overhaul of the exploitative socio-economic system inherited from capitalist colonial and neo-colonial imperialism?
