Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Gobabis, Aminuis, Epukiro, Otjinene and Otjombinde are theoretically by now supposed to be thriving towns and constituencies, as is indeed the entire Omaheke region.
For these constituencies are located in the Cattle Country, with Gobabis its capital. Very much so because Namibia is one of the exporters of prime beef, starting with Europe, specifically the Nordic countries like Denmark, Norway and Sweden. A market that in terms of the export of beef has been characterised as lucrative.
Not only this, but state of the region (SORA) after SORA we are reminded of the number of cattle sold per year in the Omaheke region. Many of them, and by no means an insignificant number, are from the region’s rural economic backyards in the said constituencies of Aminuis, Epukiro, Otjinene and Otjombinde.
But is there really anything to show for it in these constituencies, let alone the capital of Omaheke, Gobabis, given the celebrated lucrativeness of its meat industry, especially its lucrative foreign beef market?
This is not an inopportune and/or irrelevant or far-fetched question. If anything, these constituencies and their hordes of villages are far from being mirrors of lucrativeness. In fact, if there is anything about these constituencies and their villages, they epitomise and represent nothing but economic retardation and neglect, as indeed underdevelopment is exemplified by glaring poverty.
Gobabis itself does not come anywhere closer to being a capital of the hailed budding livestock herding and the concomitant livestock market serving the celebrated lucrative market of Europe, among many others. With its villages, an economic and social eyesore. With only limited pockets of prosperity.
In the olden days, that is, during the colonial era to be specific, the Bantustans were where the indigenous were banished. Only to be recruited when their labour was needed in the police zones. The latter are the areas inhabited by whites. With the Bantustans and/or reserves, as they were also known, being in essence reserves for cheap black labour. From where, when the white economy so demanded, they served white capitalism.
But to the indigenous, it seems a good escape from white capitalism. Whereto the indigenous would be sent by their own for much-needed social rehabilitation. But not these days, as these areas have politically conveniently been renamed communal areas. But still very much an epitome of economic neglect and, thus, dumping grounds for those used and discarded by the modern-day capitalist system.
Where social and economic decay is not an exception but the rule. With the pseudo status of a livestock-rearing region shunning livestock for the beef industry, whose prime cuts are destined for the so-called lucrative markets. Lucrativeness that was forever never designed to only trickle down to most but a few of the livestock producers in the region’s hinterlands.
A scenario that is not only confined to the Omaheke region but is likewise equally the reality of the regions of Otjozondjupa, rural Erongo and the Kunene region, not to mention the regions of the north, for whom the said lucrative market is a forbidden territory as far as the livestock from these regions are concerned.
Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but wonder what the term ‘lucrative’ means. Because among the areas that produce beef and/or contribute to beef production in Namibia, there is only cattle breeding, which in turn is either turned into beef locally and then exported or/and exported on the hoof.
But still ending up as beef where it is exported. None of these contributors to the country’s meat industry and beef market show any signs of prosperity. If only there were any trickle down. Starting with Gobabis, the capital of Omaheke. Only Otjinene, in terms of economic trickle-down, is an exception. This is despite the fact that all these constituencies enumerated before contribute significantly towards the production of beef, which is one of the country’s foremost exports to the so-called lucrative markets abroad.
But such lucrativeness is hardly reflected in the communities of these constituencies, which contribute significantly towards beef production and/or livestock rearing. Lately another would-be lucrative foreign export market for Namibian beef is Mauritius. Whereto truckloads and eventually shiploads of livestock were shipped. Lately there’s also been media reports of the Meat Corporation of Namibia, Meatco, sending overtures to the Egyptian ambassador to Windhoek for exploring and ultimately opening Egyptian markets to Namibian beef. But to what avail, Yours Truly Ideologically cannot but ask?
In view of the experiences of livestock producers from Namibia’s economic backyards, which have been practical but left out from the economic benefits accruing from the designated beef export markets.
The problem to the prevailing undesirable yet seemingly normal state of socio-economic being, which, for that matter, is engineered and masterminded as normal, is capitalism. Where prices of livestock, especially for producers from Namibia’s economic hinterlands, the so-called communal areas, are not and cannot be determined by the market forces but are manipulated by none other than the marketers in a cohort with buyers.
Simply, the law of supply and demand, as far as the livestock of breeders and producers from the so-called communal areas is concerned, does not apply. Because livestock production very still remains, like any other sector of the economy, still remains in the control of the previously privileged caste.
That very much continues to protect its cartel syndication of the livestock and beef production sector. For and to the exclusive benefit and interest of this privileged section of the capitalist class system.
