Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
For all the good efforts those entrusted with attracting and luring, if not enticing investors to the country, at the end of the day their efforts may prove futile and the resources so invested wasteful?
Until and when all the necessary ingredients to their efforts are in place. Because investments alone is necessary but not a sufficient ingredient to make Namibia what she wants to be. And herein lies the problematic.
Because except for craving investments, scant and significant attention, and/or no attention at all is given to how investments can, may and could benefit the whole country. Except for its hackneyed and assumed imperative for growth. Other than that the universal usefulness and need of investments to all of Namibia’s citizenry, except the vantage few, it is and has not been clear.
Yes, conventionally and fashionably for growth! But is growth alone the only factor to guarantee prosperity for and to all amidst the grinding poverty and widening inequality in the country? Where and with Namibia rated as among the most and amongst the toppest unequal societies in the world.
This is a fact and not a matter of perception. With little evidence over the last 34 years of the country’s independence, that, if only the basics, and bare minimum, have been done in the least to alleviate, before even thinking of meantime reversing and ultimately and eventually eradicating poverty.
The problematic in this regard being the brand that Namibia is currently, and/or perceived to be. An ideologically amorphous if not entirely ideologically debased and baseless entity.
A factor that is mystified by the believe that ideology is an enemy of progress and prosperity, albeit according to the capitalists, and/or free market ideology and its political system of democracy, which is and has been seen as the only panacea for all the problems of especially the previously colonised nations.
While in essence democracy has been no more than a political hegemonic tool of capitalism to perpetuate and entrench the capitalist system. No for the good of all but of the few, the so-called investors and their metropoles.
Hence the perceived replacement of colonialism by neo-colonialism while what has happened and has been happening since the day of colonialism, is only the cloaking of the presumably now free and independent former colonies with the mantle of democracy.
Another ideological and hegemonic tool for the continued entrenchment and perpetuation of capitalism. There’s hardly, if at all, any formerly colonised country in the world where independence and freedom, ushered in by the so-called democracy, has realised the expected and anticipated material wellbeing, especially for the impoverished masses.
Simply because it has been business as usual with capitalism reigning supreme, and resultantly with decadence and opulence for the few and miseries for the majority. Yet, it has been hailed and continues to be hailed as the best system. Best for who? If particularly in the former colonised countries people continue to be subjected to the perpetual pillaging and plunder of their natural resources, and by design relegated and subjugated to walloping and swallowing in abject socio-economic conditions.
Capitalism has simply been proving itself that it is and cannot be in the interest of the masses, including the workers. How can a system whose foundation is nothing but the continued pillaging and plunder of the natural resources of any country, at the expense of those doing the actual work in the realisation of the profits for the “legal owners” of these resources, ala some circles of the Namibian ruling political authority, be in any way in the interest of the masses and workers?
As long as Namibia and the political principals, both real ones and the pretenders, continue to shy away from having a firm ideological vision, the country shall continue to pamper and pander to the denigrating whims of capitalism at the expense of the wellbeing of her people, the masses, workers in particular. Whatever brand it may have cultivated over the 34 years is as good as no-brand to attract investments she has been clamouring. As in the absence of any ideological clarity as to the development trajectory the country would wish to tread, as hitherto there has been none, other than trial and error, they are as good as none.
Ideological disposition and/or clarity and firmness does not and cannot necessarily mean any ideology opposing capitalism, the most obvious one being socialism. But one thing for sure is that capitalism is and cannot be the most appropriate production system for Namibia that has emerged from over a hundred years of colonial capitalism. Because, one thing that the Namibian resistance, and later the liberation struggle, was pitted and launched against, was not only colonialism. But a spade must be called a spade, this was colonial capitalism.
With the main and essential target being capitalism with colonialism (imperialism) being only a stage of capitalism. As much as neo-colonialism, which is the state of an independent Namibia today, as much is another stage of capitalism. But which ironically Namibia seems to have embraced, or shall one say, political leaders have imposed on the country lock, stock and barrel without any circumspection.
Because the liberators of yesteryears have today become the proxy capitalists, conniving in the continued plunder and pillaging of her resources, without any pretension and compunction, against the best interests of the masses, and the country at large.
While capitalism is and cannot and should not be a starter as far as Namibia’s development trajectory is concerned, given that it has been already tested in colonial Namibia, even post-colonial during her 34 years of freedom and independence. When proven inimical to Namibian interests and that of her people, particularly the masses, peasants and workers. But the same cannot be said about socialism. Despite the missives that have been thrown at socialism as having been a failure wherever it has been full tried and tested. Whether in East Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Where and which Yours Truly Ideologically also genuinely believe nowhere in the world has socialism been allowed to go its full course to be consequently fairly judged whether it is workable or not. Theirs is one example of positive results regarding socialism, which is Cuba, and lately Venezuela, but which is rarely spoken about, typical of the envy if not the hegemony of capitalism.
But should Namibia continues to shy away from especially the ism in socialism while embracing the one of capitalism, there’s another ism that she can and could just as well take a leaf from if not emulate. This is the pragmatism that has been espoused by her eastern neighbouring country, Botswana. That has seen the country from colonial backwardness and underdevelopment she once was, to one of the model African countries today, and a star of Southern Africa in this regard. To be a brand that she is that Africa and the sub-region must not only be envious of but learn something from, especially Namibia, given her relation to her.
