Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Yours Truly Ideologically has been postulating about the essence of the national resistance, national liberation, from an ideological perspective. In a nutshell, about the essence of the Namibian Revolution, the ultimate, which must have been the unshackling of the capitalist chains. Especially unchaining workers from the colonial yoke. So that the toil of their labour is not a mere commodity but that they own the fruits of their labour.
So that practically the workers, together with other social strata of society, commonly own the resources of the country, and the means of production thereof, to the equal benefit of all, and in terms of their differing needs. Not for profit for a selected few, but for all, foremost for their livelihoods. With the satisfaction of the immediate material needs of all, especially the needy, that the surplus be managed and distributed in an egalitarian manner, to the common benefit of the entire country as opposed to becoming the profit of an anointed few individuals and big corporations.
There has been little indication since independence, that Namibia’s political elite, without exception, and across the entire political spectrum, has laid the requisite foundation for the fundamental transformation of society. Since independence, all across the political spectrum, a superficial political divide with little ideological divide, have been producing voluminous documents. These have been a shadowy espousal and charting of the country’s developmental course. Given the ideological ambiguity, if not a complete lack of ideology, each pretending a best alternative, there has been little progress 30 years plus after independence. Little progress in terms of putting the country on a meaningful transitional trajectory towards a radical socio-economic transformation.
As much as Rome was not built in a day, one cannot imagine if it has taken 30 plus years to establish the cornerstones and/or foundation for transition to a meaningful radical socio-economic transformation, how long it would actually take to embark on same, and eventually see real transformation in this regard? Especially, given the ideological disinclination towards such a transformation. Not with the inhibitive shameless exhibition by the ruling elite, and its capitalist handlers in the corporate world, locally and internationally towards decadence. With the acquiescence of the other political parties, if not veering in the opposite direction meant to delay, if not all together capture the revolutionary train.
Granted the severity of the colonial legacy Namibia inherited, and which she has been at pains to arrest, this is not only a matter for the right objective conditions, but the subjective ones as well. Especially given the obvious ideological ambiguity, if not bankruptcy prevalent in Namibia. There is no doubt there is something amiss about the subjective conditions for the requisite radical socio-economic transformation among our leading opinion makers, politicians, policymakers and analysts alike, and as much among the broader public, more so the workers and their vanguard bodies, whoever they may be in an independent Namibia.
Yes, abject poverty is today still a reality in Namibia, partly because of colonial legacy, and partly because of the lack of ideological grounding and conviction among most, if not all of the Namibian politicians, opinion makers and policymakers alike. This needs serious address and redress. But realistically can Namibia undo, or in the least arrest the abject poverty in the country under the current prevailing mode of economic production, capitalism, to which poverty and squalor is a sine qua non? Certainly poverty and capitalism is the flip side of the same coin, and there’s no way Namibia can, even in the least, hope to arrest the prevailing poverty and at the same time reap colossal profits from production. That is a contradiction in terms.
To mention but some of our national development frameworks, there have been the National Development Plans (NDP 1-5), Vision 2030 and lately Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP). Inherently not that there is anything wrong with them. Because how can any true revolutionary object to nay genuine national frameworks to lay the foundation for the country’s development? However, the fundamental problem is that such documents are cast in ideological obscurity, ambivalence and ambiguity. If there is any pretense at ideological consideration, this is pure ideological mimicking and opportunism. With ten years to go to 2030, one hardly hear any mention of Vision 2030 these days. In fact Vision 2030 died the very day it was born. True to its ideological moribund, like the case with many of our country’s s-called development Marshall plans, it seems only to have been a Bible to its own creator. With subsequent leaders showing little conviction and believe other than lip service to it, if anything at all. Coming instead with own creations however titled they may be.
Simply because this and other frameworks have been cast in ideological emptiness, they have been destined for obscurity. As would all be politically good sounding, but ideologically hollow frameworks. But only as long as the country remains in her ideological slumber, and the masses in their presumed political naivety, indifference and benignity, and resultant disappointment and dissonance. But the workers must be careful lest such wallow and wallops them.
