The Swapo Party of Namibia would very much like to be judged on its pre-liberation credentials especially on its abrogation of having delivered independence to the Namibian people.
Let it be for those who may be still nostalgic about the liberation era. The sole and authentic era. Only a fool would deny the pivotal role of the Swapo Party especially its armed wing in causing if not speeding up freedom ushered in in 1990.
Parallel to its armed struggle was its political and diplomatic engagements which saw the likes of Hidipo Hamutenya (HH) and company crisscrossing many a capital of the world to ensure humanitarian assistance as well as ensuring that the supply line of arms remained opened from the countries that saw the arm struggle as the only and last resort. Inevitable all these efforts would culminate in 1989, the year of the implementation of the United Nations Peace Plan as per its Resolution 435. For Namibia to gain independence on 21st March, 1990. All these will and shall remain important indelible historical epochs.
But 34 years after independence, liberation credentials no longer matter and cannot be the yardstick for measuring the Swapo Party of Namibia as a ruling party.
There’s and can absolutely be no link between Swapo as a liberation and revolutionary entity, and the Swapo Party as a ruling party. Because if there’s anything that has transpired the last 34 years since Namibia’s independence, is that empirically the Swapo Party the revolutionary-cum-liberation party is, can and shall never ever be the same entity.
Because the Swapo Party as the revolutionary and liberation party was driven and inspired by absolutely different ideals from the ones that seem to be driving the Swapo Party the ruling party.
Among such ideals being the patriotism which was a virtue among most of its leaders. Not to mention its revolutionary inclination, which as it seems to have transpired and been transpiring, lost in the pragmatism of translation and transition.
A translation and transition that has been and remains dubious because few if any of the Swapo Party cadres and leaders would be able to expound without a shadow of doubt as to what has been transpiring in Namibia for the last 34 years.
Especially based on its liberation era vision of transforming the Namibian society from the colonial apartheid era edifice into a transformative one.
It is exactly this transformation entity that 34 years after independence that seems to still be taking if only roots and eventually transition into anything else distinct from its Apartheid colonial construct, however one may wish to describe it based on the ideals and ideological disposition then of the Swapo Party.
But which till this day has to take one from or another. Because what one has been seeing since, for the last 34 years, nothing different from what was happening in the colonial apartheid era edices. When the main socio-economic pillars were based on capitalism. Well, 34 years down the line if what is at work current in Namibia is not capitalism, somebody shall indeed make Yours Truly
Ideologically wise as to what is capitalism. Either the revolution as may have been envisaged by the liberation era Swapo Party, that would see a fundamental overhaul of the pertaining capitalist order, may be and is still work in progress.
Because, more than anything else this is what the Swapo Party must and should be judged on. Other than on its struggle credentials because in terms of its struggle credentials, some if not many, would indeed pass it cum laude.
The issue today is much about what the Swapo Party has been able to do and for who over the last 34 years. To what extent it has been able to fulfill its transformation promises. Certainly this is and cannot be a difficult task other than for one to look around and see whether she/he notices any signs of progress, especially for those at the lower end of the economic ladder.
Has the country for the pass 34 years been noticing a significant reduction in the number of those swelling the lower end of the socio-economic ladder? Or is it a case of these ranks swelling as they seem to have been to the point of implosion sooner than later. Underwritten by facts of Namibia being one of the most unequal society in the world if not thé most unequal.
