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Mandela writes
Mandela writes
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"Live and let live"
Translations available in: English (original) | German

There should be no doubt that Job Shipululo is emerging on the horizon as both an intellectual and political factor. Job, it seems has been greatly misjudged by many of our contemporaries, there is no doubt that at times he is prone regrettable outburst like the infamous “shanyok” Facebook post, which was all the rage at the time.

I too have found some of his written and oral outbursts dissapointing but never in a threatening way, for example as an intellectual, however young and exuberant one may be. One must conquer the urge to spew vitriol against others, no matter the extend under which one’s own character and work may came into question. All of us, as contributors to public discourse will one time or another come face to face with the most brutish attacks on our person. The test of one’s aptitude is the ability to take that into stride and to offer sober, concrete and tested ideas that will elevate debate into its rightful realm. Thus, Dear Comrade Job, even if you are under severe and disparaging assault, never descend to the level of your detractors.keep on keeping on!

Perhaps, another minor tendency emerging amongst our younger peers is the ill-advised knack to claim the victories scored by our nascent society against poverty and government indifference for oneself. The victories we win and lose on daily basis in the fight to advance our society, are the results of Namibians from different walks of life, whose collective abilities and sacrifices come together in a unity of purpose of sorts, to help propel this nation forward. The miscellany of efforts in the form of exposing, engagement, lobbying, advocating and educating from CSO’s, Youth Groups, officials, think tanks, journalist, political parties, worker unions, intellectuals and traditional leaders amongst a host of other social actors over time, are the real underlying motive force that ultimately propel us forward. To in the face of the above, claim all progress as ones doing is a bit of a stretch if you ask me. The inverse of which is to accept no role in our society for any off the multitude of challenges we face, except to kick dust in the face of those who have the difficult task of getting things going, is just as foolhardy. Certainly, I admit there are many who are supposed to get things done, whose (in)abilities and excessive failures leave little inspiration for assurance, we must nevertheless be champions of the future by doing (or even trying), in addition to the talking.

However, if it is true as Job suggest that much hatred has been spewed in his direction for advancing the views he has, then this is wrong and misguided. I am worried that we are following the footsteps of our elders whom we have remonstrated against so much for exactly these tendencies. How can we as the emerging youthful intellectual class of our generation and party, be so violent and abhorrently vitriolic for that matter, against one of our own? The views that Job and others like him have, maybe provocative in some part, but they should in no way lead to the kind of venom that Job implies he is getting. If we were to elevate our engagement with Job to the intellectual realm, we may find that some of the notions that we constantly find being advanced, may fall away easily in the face of sober and scientific scrutiny. For example, Comrade Job in a recent video posted on Youtube castigates the National Pride Campaign in a manner similar to that made by Gwen Lister some time ago in her perspective in The Namibian. While both held respectable views on why such a campaign was a waste, I found it difficult to reconcile Comrade Job’s anger with the GIPF’s DCP gaff as a basis for rejecting The National Pride Campaign. He also makes the argument that Namibians according to the Afrobarometer have proven to be highly patriotic, fine and well, but is it not exactly this, our common and collective rejection of corruption that should be one of the pillars of a national and unified effort to promote such positive values in our search for true national unity, beyond what Job at many a fora has dubbed “flag and anthem citizenship” as opposed to “substantive citizenship”. What is substantive citizenship in the teleological sense then? If it is something good, as I suspect it is, should it then not be engendered and if yes, how so? Better still, if other views are confirmed and correct, such as his views on the exploits of a certain namibian award winning vixen and a certain sushi loving bussines man from South Africa and the decay of morals in namibia, then is it also not waranted that such good ideas be heralded, why do we insist in reacting only to what is negetive in our view.

A true cadre with substance can therefore not on the basis of what Job may have said or posted, erase all ones ideological nuances; one must internalise and test any hypothesis, reject it or accept it. we can also not be angered by them, thus lets stop the needles "murmurings" as Job puts it.lets engage the issues and not the man. Violence, even if it is only verbal violence, is the retreat of the ideologically myopic, as cadres we must realise that such intellectual chauvinism cannot be our path; let us engage in a battle of ideas not against each other. Live, and let live, LET JOB BE….

 


September 3, 2011 | 6:55 PM Comments  1 comments

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SWAPO Party Succession Debate: A Youth Development Perspective.
Translations available in: English (original) | Portuguese

 

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Namibia is in the grasp of a heated presidential succession battle. One recognises this, from the prominence of the succession issue in almost every discussion I have these days. People are fascinated by the prospect of a new President and certainly, rightfully so. While many in politics it seems are gearing themselves to front and be at centre of the succession battle and debates, what interest they purport to advance is unclear and muddled in an often odd political rhetoric.

It is important that clarity should emerge from the current obfuscation of political rhetoric of polarising Tanganyika; tribalised, exile and male centred rhetoric, which I find dominates what should essentially be a process that should inject hope and aspiration amongst the youth, clarity in our development discourse and unity within the rank and file of the party. Alas, it seems the above, despite its obvious imperatives, have been reduced to the periphery of the current discourse around succession. Our nation’s fixation with personality rather than policy and process, mechanisation, institution building and ideas, is perhaps an indication of embryonic views with regards to the requirements of and for our development.

My hope is also that as we set along this path, that we free ourselves from the narrowing and limiting confines of prejudice. It is a disheartening state of affairs when as a social-political commentator; one should be aligned to or against a certain political tendency or group, on the basis of either critical or positive reflections of nascent developments. I take this defence posture without any apology and ask of the followers of our development discourse to focus more on substance – informed by national strategy and development policy - rather than attempting to canonise or vilify discourse in a polarised fashion, particularly based on personality and other parochial factors.

It is important to make the argument that a youth development agenda in Namibia has been conspicuously absent in 2004 succession process and sadly, it remains absent as we trudge towards 2012. It goes without saying that if the process remains as it is – currently appearing as empty idolisation and counter demonization of personalities - we risk alienating young people from the process. As young people we must be aware that this period is a moment in which we are extremely vulnerable to the seductive but unpromising conjecture of politicians. While as a young person I expect to be courted by actual aspirants to the Presidency and rightfully so, it must be so on the basis of concrete development agenda with a strong emphasis on opening up new spaces for participation in the economy, society and polity for youth. We must be able in this moment to discern more than ever, tactical obfuscation from a clear and coherent response to youth development demands.  We cannot be expected to get excited at the prospect of succession, in the absence of meat on the empty bones of the process as we see it playing itself out now.

What is in it for us? This is the question we must ask as young people, in unison and with clear expectations. It is my expectation that the leadership will not align or dissociate themselves in the succession dynamic on a basis of an absence or presence of private patronage within the complex formations that seems to be emerging in one’s observation. Any courtship in this process with youth structures must be on the basis of key and important considerations. In my view, this should include:

  1. A clear commitment established in legislation and evolving policy towards ensuring the strengthening of youth development and institutions, aligned in and with policy and coordination mechanisms including corresponding budgets.
  2. A clear strategy guaranteeing policy influence of youth structures in decision making in all areas of national development, including corresponding measures to purposefully strengthen youth organisations to be able to do so.
  3. An unequivocal  commitment to youth empowerment (including adolescents)in its three discernable areas of:
  4. Economic Empowerment.
  5. Political Participation.
  6. Social Inclusion.
  7. A commitment to the values of Democracy, National Unity, Fairness, Social Justice and equal opportunity for all.
  8. A commitment to deal boldly with the structural imbalances in the ownership of our economy, including concrete measures to deal with increasing poverty and income inequality.

The list above is not exhaustive, but it is what one hopes is a not too subjective reflection on some of the issues and principles one would hear being articulated with greater clarity in the succession process. These have been expressed with consideration to the fact that the SWAPO Party’s Central Committee has now decided that a succession process based on the parties Succession Plan and processes would be pursued. It is thus important that those who are in the fold of the thrust of this process must begin to tackle some of these issues, amongst a host of others, as we move forward.

Young people are yearning to be heard and to be engaged and meaningfully involved. It is a terrible shame that often many in positions of authority and power do not prioritise engagements with young people. Young people are now demanding leaders to walk alongside them, and are willing to pursue their chosen course of action even in the absence of such support. As part of this process, our leaders must embrace and appreciate the impact of new platforms [such as social media] as tools for communication and engagement. Those who ignore youth do so at their own peril.

 


May 28, 2011 | 9:34 AM Comments  0 comments

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Fidel Castro's message at the World Youth and Student Festival.


Comrades:


It is a great pleasure and honour for me to agree to the request that you made for me to send a message to the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students that is taking place in the Homeland of Nelson Mandela, the living symbol of the struggle against the odious apartheid system.


 


Cuba hosted two world festivals: the 11th in 1978 and the 14th in 1997


For the first time, the Festival ceased to be held in Europe and took place in a country in this hemisphere. The decision was made by the 9th Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth which was held in Varna, Bulgaria at the end of 1974.


 


Those were different times: the world was facing serious problems, but ones that were less dramatic. The more progressive youth was fighting for the right of all human beings to a decent life; the old dream of the greatest thinkers of our species when it was clear that science, technology, the productivity of labour and the development of consciousness was making it possible.


 In a brief lapse of time, globalization accelerated, communications reached unsuspected levels, the means to promote education, health and culture multiplied. Our dreams were not without foundation. In that spirit, the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students took place and our people also took part in it.


 


At the General Council of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, held precisely in heroic South Africa at the beginning of October in 1995, it was approved to hold the 14th Festival in Havana; 12,000 delegates from 132 countries would be taking part. Our country at that time had been struggling for almost 37 years in the political and ideological battle against the empire and its brutal economic blockade.


Until the decade of the 1980s, not only were the Peoples’ Republic of China, the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea in existence who had been withstanding genocidal wars and the crimes of the Yankees, but also the socialist bloc in Europe and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, an enormous multinational State with 22,402,200 square kilometres, enormous resources of agricultural lands, forests, oil, gas, minerals and more. Face to face with the imperialist superpower, with its more than 800 military bases deployed throughout the planet, the socialist superpower was surging.


 


The dissolution of the USSR, whatever the errors may have been at one or another moment in history, constituted a rough blow to the world’s progressive movement.The Yankees moved quickly and spread their military bases and the use of facilities constructed by the USSR in order to encircle more tightly, with their war machinery the Russian Federation which continued to be a great power.The military bravado of the United States and its NATO allies increased in Europe and Asia. They unleashed the Kosovo War and disintegrated Serbia.


 


Within the area of our hemisphere, even before the collapse of the USSR, they invaded the Dominican Republic in 1965; they bombed and intervened in Nicaragua with mercenaries; their regular troops invaded Grenada, Panama and Haiti; they promoted bloody military coups in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay and supported Stroessner’s brutal repression in Paraguay.They created the School of the Americas where they were not only training thousands of Latin American officers in conspiracies and coups d’état, but they were also familiarizing many with doctrines of hate and sophisticated torture practices while they were presenting themselves to the world as champions of “human rights and democracy”.


 


In the first decade of this century, the imperialist superpower appears to be overflowing its own riverbanks.The bloody events of September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers of New York City were destroyed -a dramatic episode where around 3,000 persons lost their lives- and the subsequent attack on the Pentagon, fit like a glove on the hand of that unscrupulous adventurer George W. Bush for him to orchestrate the so-called war on terrorism that constitutes, simply, a dangerous escalation of the brutal policy that the US has been applying on our planet.


 


There has been more than sufficient proof of the embarrassing complicity of the NATO countries in such a reproachable war. That warmongering organization has just proclaimed its aim to intervene in any country in the world, wherever it feels that its interests, that is, US interests, are being threatened.The monopoly on the mass media, in the hands of the huge capitalist transnationals, has been used by imperialism to sow lies, create conditioned reflexes and to develop egoistical instincts.While the youth and students were travelling to South Africa to fight for a world in peace, with dignity and justice, in Great Britain university students and their professors were waging a pitched battle against the considerable and well-equipped repressive police who, on their spirited horses, were attacking them. There have been few times, and perhaps never, that we have seen such a show of capitalist “democracy”. The neoliberal governing parties, exercising their role of the police force of the oligarchy, betraying their electoral promises, passed measures in Parliament that raised the yearly fees for university students to $14,000. The worst of it all was the nerve with which the neoliberal parliamentarians stated that the “market was resolving that problem”. Only the rich had the right to a university degree.


 


A few days ago, the present US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, commenting on the secrets divulged by WikiLeaks stated: “The fact is, governments deal with the United States because it’s in their interest, not because they like us, not because they trust us, and not because they believe we can keep secrets. [...] some governments deal with us because they fear us, some because they respect us, most because they need us. We are still essentially, as has been said before, the indispensable nation”.Not a few intelligent and well-informed people harbour the conviction that the Yankee Empire, like all those coming before it, has entered its final phase and that the signs are irrefutable.


 


An article published on the TomDispatch website, translated from English by the Rebelión website presents four hypotheses about the probable course of events in the United States, and in all of them, world war appears as one of the possibilities even though it does not exclude that there may be another option. It adds that definitely that country will lose its dominant role in world exports of goods and in less than 15 years it will lose its dominant role in innovative technology and the privileged function of the dollar as the reserve currency. It quotes that already this year China has reached 12% in comparison to the US 11% in world exports of goods and it mentioned the presentation in October of this year by the Chinese Minister of Defence of the Tianhe-1ª super-computer, something so powerful that, in the words of an American expert, “it wipes out the No. 1 machine” existing in the United States.


 


Our dear compatriots, upon arriving in South Africa, among their first activities, paid fully-deserved tribute to the internationalist combatants who gave their lives fighting for Africa.


 


Fort the last 12 years, in neighbouring Haiti, our medical mission provides its services to the Haitian people; today, with the cooperation of the internationalist doctors graduated from ELAM (the Latin American School of Medicine). They also fight there for Africa by doing battle against the cholera epidemic, the disease of poverty, to prevent its spreading to that continent where, just like in Latin America, there is a lot of poverty. With their acquired experience, our doctors have extraordinarily lowered the death rate. Very near to South Africa, in Zimbabwe, in August of 2008, that epidemic broke out “explosively”, according to the Harare “Herald”. Robert Mugabe accused the governments of the United States and Great Britain of introducing the disease.


 


As proof of the total lack of Yankee scruples, it is necessary to remember that the government of the United States delivered nuclear weapons to the apartheid regime; the racists were at the point of using them against Cuban and Angolan troops which, after the victory at Cuito Cuanavale, were advancing southward, where the Cuban command, having suspicions about that danger, adopted the pertinent measures and tactics to give them total control of the air space. If they should try to use such weapons, they wouldn’t have obtained victory.


 


But it is legitimate to wonder: what would have happened if the South African racists had used nuclear weapons against the Cuban and Angolan troops? What would the international reaction have been? How would such a barbaric act have been justified? How would the USSR have reacted? These are questions we must ask ourselves.When the racists handed over the government to Nelson Mandela, they didn’t say a single word to him, nor did they say what they did with those weapons. Investigation and the denunciation of such events would be of great service to the world, at this time. Dear compatriots, I urge you to present this topic at the World Festival of Youth and Students.


  


January 29, 2011 | 4:59 PM Comments  0 comments

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Do problems of the children of the liberation struggle deserve special attention from government?

Setting the Context.

The issue of the children of Namibia’s liberation Struggle (CLS) is one that is very divisive and a debate in which many and varied opinions exist. Certainly the perceived arrogance of the CLS has not helped the case, but neither should the unique historical context out of which my generation was born be ignored.

In this highly emotive debate contextualising is imperative, allow me therefore to state categorically that the Children of the liberation struggle include but is not limited to  all those young people who are under the age of 35 who were born or raised outside Namibia as a result of the war for independence, they also include youth who have lost one or both parents as a result of the war and or any youth whose personal and psycho social development has been stunted or negatively affected as a direct result of the Namibian people’s war against colonial oppression.

Thus, the definition of children of the liberation struggle includes both those youth who were born and raised in and outside of Namibia, any bias towards either is unjustified and prejudicial. The question then is whether such youth deserve special consideration in the allocation of social services? For which my answer is a categorical yes.

CLS in Namibia today.

The Namibian war of liberation according to Colin Leys and Susan Brown (2005) experienced a phenomena not experienced in other struggles’ of liberation in Africa. This phenomenon is popularly referred to as the 1974 “Exodus” in which it is estimated that up to 6, 000 (ibid) young men and woman especially from northern Namibia crossed the northern frontier to join the armed struggle. These young man and woman include amongst many other Maj Gen Martin Shali, Pendukeni Ivula Ithana, Maj Gen Charles Namoloh, Hon Joel Kaapanda and many others. Many other young people from the south of the “redline” also found their way into exile, These Included AU Commissioner Bience Gawanas, Maj Gen James Tjivikua, Mihe “Mistake’ Goamab amongst thousands of others.

For the thousands that left Namibia, perhaps thousands more youths remained in Namibia and decided to wage the war of liberation from within, such young people included amongst hundreds of thousands of others, my parents, who after being expelled from the University of Western Cape in 1976/7 returned to Namibia, and continued with their activism along with them, The Late Dan Tjongarero, Hon Immanuel Ngatjizeko, Hon Alpheus Naruseb, Paul Vleermuis, Hon Ben Ulenga, Hon Jerry Ekandjo, Bob Kandetu, Hon Bernard Esau, Daniel Kamho, Hon Alpheus Muheua, Bishop Kameeta, Hon Marco Hausiku, the Late Hon Haingura and many others chose to do so from within .

It is the offspring of the above set of groups, that are the Children of the Liberation Struggle were borne from, our parents all of them white and black, north of the red line and south of it, businessman, ordinary workers, man, woman, leaders or ordinary supporters of the liberation struggle, it is us, that are the much talked about CLS, it is our common heritage that belongs to all of my generation.

It is for the most part, such incidences as above, that set the stage for the children of the liberation struggle today. Whilst I admit, that apart from intermittent incidences of direct insecurity, fear and injustice, I had for the most part a well adjusted working class Christian upbringing. My parents I must admit shielded my sister and I, very well from the harassment and violence they faced on a daily basis for their involvement in the SWAPO Party and labour movement. Accept for amongst other one incident related to my father’s detention without trial, along with Anton Lubowski and Hendrik Witbooi in the late 1980’s, I cannot recall many other incidences of heightened hysteria In my immediate family circumstance.

The war had a much more devastating effect for many other youths and their families, in some cases families where split by detentions, death, separation and assignments related directly to the struggle for liberation. I have friends in this regard whom have never seen one or both of their parents, I have friends who were not in exile but whose parent(s) never made it back alive from exile. Whilst there are many children born and raised during the liberation who have grown to be successful and well adjusted young man and woman, many other have not had such luck and have been left their own devices.

Again, while there may have been some programs to cater for the reintegration of youth into the schools and family setup, there are also many another instances where support in respect to children of liberation struggle was inadequate and out of reach.

Again, while SWAPO, the United Nations, frontline states, the international community and institution like CCN deserve much praise for their efforts to shield children from the chilling effects of the war for liberation. The legacy of children of the liberation struggle that we have inherited today is clearly testimony that gapping holes in many such interventions have resulted in today’s challenges. Perhaps the sheer volume of displaced, injured, killed and effected Namibians was just too great .The Psycho social support void, has left us with this gapping legacy in our struggle for youth development today. While children of liberation struggle are not more “special” than other youth in Namibia today, they certainly have special circumstances that if left undressed will continue to disadvantage them and their offspring socially, economically and emotionally.

For example just as black children are no more special than white children, or girls no more special than boys, the special and different circumstances of the former require dedicated interventions in order to mitigate the disproportionate economic and social outcomes that arise from their gender or racial characteristics, similarly while Children of the liberation Struggle are no more special than say Free borns ,it is necessary that the state and society in its social and economic discourse underscores the special circumstances of my generation in addressing the problems of the time.

Many CLS have claimed that they have been unable to gain jobs and access to basic services because they do not have any identity documents, many more have said that they struggle to adjust socially, economically and emotionally, as a direct result of the war. I am sure in hindsight if we knew then, what we know today, we would have done much more to change this picture.  

While some research has been done, particularly in respect to children raised in the former GDR, a large research void still exist in determining the impact of the war on children that grew up during that time and on the inadequacy of support programs for such children during and after the retreat of occupationist forces.

Conclusion

The reality is the deeper we became entrenched in the issues ,challenges and opportunities of post independence, the bigger the void between the nations liberation era children and national development became.

It is regrettable that the understanding of the context and issues around Children of the liberation Struggle is caught up in vexatious innuendo by some, which has caused unnecessary mistrust and deviation of the predominant issue. CLS are inclusive of both those youth born and raised inside and outside Namibia during the time of the liberation struggle, any other assertion, intent or interpretation to the contrary should be regarded are mischievous at best and destabilising at worst.

  


January 6, 2011 | 4:49 AM Comments  0 comments

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why intergenerational dialogue?
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

I was featured a few days ago on NBC’s 8 o clock bulletin saying something that in retrospect, I felt needed to be contextualized. I saw my intervention on that day as it is herein, as an attempt to provide but an extenuating circumstance for youth militancy.

To a large extend the report did well in covering the issues that I had sought to bring forth in my address, these included a reference to the standard youth development framework, such as enunciated amongst other in the National Youth Policy (NYP), The African Youth Charter (AYC) and the famous World Program of Action for Youth (WPAY). The latter of which speaks to the issue of intergenerational dialogue and the need for the world to prioritise, better understanding through cogent robust but respectful dialogue ,amongst different generations of the people of the world.

It is clear that there are deep schisms with my generation and those of previous generations in particular the current ruling corps. What NBC report however did not clarify from my vestige point was that to a large extend such schisms are borne out of some sort of arrogance or an allergy rather to youth interest and voices from older generations.

I have always looked at the current tone and militancy of the youth movement as a tactical position rather than one borne of an inherent arrogance on the part of the youths. That it is not, and any attempt to curry such sentiment is mischievous and deliberately so, in my view.

On the contrary rather, this tactical approach is to illustrate that disregard for youth interest will not be swallowed wholeheartedly by youth and will provoke the kind of militant resistance that we have seen recently at amongst other at UNAM, in the Caprivi Region and from the Children of the liberation struggle amongst more instances. My own observations are that what we have seen are rather mild manifestations of much deeper resentment. One can therefore only hope and pray that more willing insight is applied to understanding our countries youth and their aspirations.

It is the current haughtiness from policy holders and makers that causes this confrontational reaction from within the youth. If barriers continue to persist in dialogue with youth, so too will the “patriotic stubbornness” of the youth. Its would seem that young people are no longer willing to give credence to institutions, individuals and policies that are supposed to work for them, but have failed, a rather logical position if you ask me, anything contra would in fact be delusional.

Therefore it is important that policyholders and makers acquaint themselves with those three documents that I made mention of, so that the fact that many in public and policy circles in Namibia are out of tune with youth, becomes apparent. I think many will do well to learn from the likes of Hage Geingob, Pendunkeni Ivula Ithana, Nahas Angula, Nangolo Mbumba, Richard Kamwi, Frans Kapofi, Inspector General Ndeitungua , Alphues Naruseb and Hon Mungunda amongst some few others, whom have learned and practice a more modern 21st centaury based dialogue with youth. Anything else I am afraid, will warrant nothing but reciprocal arrogance.

August 4, 2009 | 11:15 AM Comments  1 comments



betrayal of the "blood".
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

A once notable man of the cross, who is has come out of his retirement to champion a cause , in defense of human rights, democracy, freedom and what I presume is anti-despotism , would have gained much affinity to his cause, had it the slightest semblance of being genuine.

All Namibians care deeply, that we should consolidate national cohesion, unity and strengthen our resolve to mould Namibians not only into true believers of our founding convictions, but also into nationals that would live and die for those founding ideals. No doubt that these ideals include genuine people’s rights, democracy, freedom, liberty, justice, national unity, patriotism and a host more. No one person can claim monopoly of these values they belong to us all and have bearing for us all equally.

SWAPO at independence inherited a government that was broken, void of morals and empty of true justice. The colonial state’s institutions propagated division and skewed development along racial lines and for the sake of political manipulation.

Only the foolhardy will belief that our society today is free from these colonial vestiges. They exist still today, not because SWAPO has no inclination to deal with them but because the mindsets that brought them to be, still survive and continue to entrench predatory capitalism, racism and tribalism in Namibia. SWAPO’s biases must therefore continue to be to ensure that in our process of development, we continue to seek the advancement of all our people collectively.

If indeed we are true defenders of the inalienable right of the people than we should preach not the only of human and democratic rights (which by the way they cannot live in or eat) but also of their economic and social rights that this constitution in its current form undermines. As long as the constitution does not allow for the dismantling of colonial remnants then it is but liberal diatribe to continue to chew such bubble gum sentiments .

A true champion of the people will be that man or woman that preaches the further evolution of our constitution into a pure and just people centered instrument. It is a crying shame that liberals cannot see that their tendencies are as naked as an emperor with an invisible robe, and count for nothing more than aesthetic camouflage. The real revolution lies in our ability to be able to demand for collective economic and social progress, which outweighs individual economic and social tendencies. It would thus seem odd that there are some amongst us that compete to out chant one another this almost empty rhetorical diatribe that can never ever without economic and social justice have true meaning

What’s more, I can never ever accept that someone can in the same breathe claim to be a champion of morality, peoples rights and advancement, while being a member of RDP. For me the two are incompatible, in my mind there exist no doubt that RDP is a tribalist and egoist enterprise, no one that has a thread of justice can therefore be just and tribalist, it is illogical. Conventional logic does not allow me to accept that one could be a just tribalist. Unfortunately there are people who cannot come to the same truth and truly belief that it is a form of injustice that there are people like me who cannot fathom their RDP affinity, and therefore except it as logical. What is logical is for person to belong to the parties of their choice, what is not, is their choice to do so through means that negate progress, justice and national unity, such as tribalism.


I digress, surely there is then a clash in our constitution, a clash of liberal democratic individual rights vs. mass socio-democratic and economic advancement. My biases here are for the later particularly as they relate to economic rights. The clash in our constitution is as clear as day and night and while I say thank god to the founders of the constitution for having done just that (having drafted this document). I can’t help but curse a process that failed to recognize that people’s rights in the developmental stage of our independence should supersede those that entrench individualism and predatory capitalism.

I have no doubt that there will be those who will deliberately or mistakenly make my assertions out to be anti “human rights” indeed they are not, I have no shame in admitting though that I have a predisposition to peoples rights as apposed what Phil ya Nangolo stands has for.

July 17, 2009 | 11:41 AM Comments  0 comments

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The shock doctor(ine).
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

We must continue to belief in the collective, I restate this not only because it is a fundamental truth encoded in our party constitution and youth league oath of office,but because it is only through the collective will, that we shall be able to achieve for Namibia a reality based on progress and unity (mutual co-existence).

Many people do not take the time to listen to and read the assertions of dr.Ngurare (http://www.spyl.org/?p=62#), as one who does so regularly, it is striking to note that the basic tone of his assertions are a return to the values of nationalism, African affirmation and socialism. This is more than all else, why I in particular am steadfast in the direction of our nascent youth movement. if only for this reason, than all the young people of Namibia must rally behind Comrade Ngurare, the SWAPO Party Youth League, The SWAPO Party and its President H.E Hifikepunje Pohamba, who on behalf of the SWAPO masses projects the fundamental truth that a socialist path to development, based on national unity and an absolute affirmation of our AfriKaness is the only foundation that shall proof to be lasting.

This week again, as is usual, I once again received from our friends at the Cuban embassy, daily dispatches written by Comrade Fidel Castro entitled ‘refections by (comrade) Fidel’, where comrade Fidel elucidates, as sharply as he always has, on matters that occupy his mind. At one such occasion, he writes of Comrade Evo Morales in such a lucid and empathetic manner that it evoked in me, a rather starkly surreal similarity to Comrade Ngurare. He says of Comrade Morales’s persistent, struggle against oppositions hardheads inter alia ‘Nobody denies any longer that he is winning the battle without resorting to the use of force or abusing power” he continues in the immediate line after that , in what is typical Fidel wit, with ” The adversary can not cope with his volley.” This optimizes the wit and talent for strategy that our leader of the youth league posses.

It is but Sam Nujoma, Theo Ben Gurrirab, Bankie Forster Bankie, Clinton Swartbooi (all of whom, I have been privy to occasional chats with) and my own father, from whome I have been able to draw more or perhaps as insightfull intellectual inspiration other than our dear Secretary.

May 22, 2009 | 1:44 PM Comments  0 comments



Why we are on they right side of history!
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The Next “elder” that doles out the now infamous coinage that youth in Namibia have no respect for elders and that implies even tacitly that ‘I’ call the SWAPO PARTY YOUTH LEAGUE to order, will have to forgive me for my respectfully insolent refusal to heed
.

Trouble with Namibia, generally speaking of course, is everyone speaks and no one really listens, people often think they do, but it is as clear as day and night that they do not, allow me to say respectfully that some “elders” are most guilty of this abhorrent behavior. I often think that instead of the almost allergic aversion to the SPYL, a more useful response would be to listen and learn a thing or two. The aversion of some who seem to me, like recent converts to liberalism, is indeed very instructive and it epitomizes the fact that young people in order to be heard must resort to the tactics used by SPYL in recent months, what a sad fate for our country if it is indeed the case, that its youth have to resort to causing mass hysteria in order to be heard. Why should youths first scare some to a shitles state of fear, before they heed to what we have to say?

By nature, I am not prone to ‘big statements” or controversy, but I must say that the current crop of SPYL leaders are the most effective weapon the youth movement has in its artillery at this stage and I will continue to support both the tone and content emanating from across the Katutura State Hospital. For as long as there are those that are oblivious to the fact that young people have a legitimate stake at the decision making table, then there is no other means but this, left to us as a movement. This state of crisis is not unique to Namibia, but exist the world over, reactions of French minority youths in one instance and students in another, after the election of Sarkozy in France are illustrative of that fact, one could site many other examples of this from Pakistan to Columbia to Nigeria, though the circumstances and issues vary, the result of such alienation from the center is a radicalized and angry response from youths.

My own experiences from interacting with youths on a daily basis lead me to the unfortunate observation that the outcries of SPYL are rather mild in comparison to the anger of many other youths outside the leadership of SPYL. Many youths particularly those who still languish in rural poverty remain dedicated and committed to SWAPO and her political program. This again is instructive of the fact that youths, the vast majority of them anyway, will continue to be loyal to the SWAPO Party, because it represents our best hope for the future. The inability of the powers that be, to perfect the mechanisms of our party particular as she relates to her government are loathsome at best and deserve “rectification”. Chairman Mao is very instructive in this regard, and I quote him as follows “our point of departure is to serve the people whole heartedly and never for a moment to divorce ourselves from the masses, to proceed in all cases from the interest of the people and not from one’s self interest or from the interest of a small group, and to identify our responsibility to the people with our own responsibility to the organs of the Party.”

Many often argue that the SPYL leadership’s radicalized stances are because those in leadership of SPYL wish to jostle for positions in parliament or/and that the Founding Father and others are behind this amplified discontent, these arguments are pitiful if not giddy and far from the simple truth. Parliament is not the destination, in actual fact no one of those in the leadership of SPYL, I have talked to, have expressed any such wishes even lightheartedly, moreover, who would want to trade the dynamism of the being in the leadership of SPYL for the mundane diplomacy and chivalrous pomp that parliament requires. Our destination is youth development that is meaningful and far from the tokenistic development and institutions that exist to date`. Bringing Nujoma for as much as we love and adore him onto the scene will not change the real factors at play.

May 12, 2009 | 4:08 PM Comments  0 comments

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Youth expect no more than we deserve...
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Young Namibians today, cannot deject that the anti colonial struggle for liberation and against apartheid, remains a cogent political and sociological lesson for our times. It might seem that there are some of us who are obsessed with liberation rhetoric, but this is not the case, on the contrary, apart from the historic worth of liberationism, liberationism teaches us real and cogent lessons for our times, such as loyalty, patriotism, determination, hard work and unwavering resolve. It is these values and notions that we invoke today as we set the pace for a new development discourse.

Given the above, the demand and the struggle for opportunities within the nascent economy remains our rallying call. It is from the struggle against anti colonial resistance from which we must draw our inspiration and resolve. The broad based empowerment of the masses of our people, the rural masses in particular, is preeminent in our minds eye as we seek to trudge towards vision 2030 and as we gather for this event. To underestimate the importance of this objective is to undermine the masses who where and are the bedrock of both our previous and present struggles.

The empowerment of young people is within the above ambits and surely it cannot be anything but a just ask, to receive support while we learn, toil and strive for our country. Those institution and persons who steer us towards vision 2030 consider, and apply their minds to creating worthwhile opportunities for young people today and in the future.

Nevertheless while the above remains a paramount objective we must continue to strive, toil and learn, we must strive for what is just fair and in our national interest, we must toil to grow food, build infrastructure and extract the resources which God has abounded this nation with and finally we must learn to perfect means of governance harmony and without seizing perfect the use of technology for our own advancement.

It is only the generations that owns and strives towards its aspirations that can ultimately achieve them

November 10, 2008 | 5:55 AM Comments  0 comments

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Defending our values is a categorical imperative.....
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Nangola Mbumba said a most profound thing at the recent SWAPO party rally, when he said amongst other, that there is no one entity that has a monopoly for being smart. I was reminded of this rather telling assertion this morning (Monday, the 15th of September, 2008) while listening to Hon Nora Chase MP (COD) on the Good Morning (Namibia) show.

The assertion that was made by her, implied to me that she viewed that SWAPO had failed at several levels and its failures in respect to the implementation of the constitution and consolidation of democracy where with intent.

This is no complicated matter to take issue with, thus I will do so briefly without much ado and jargon jostling. It is obvious that this statement is set against the backdrop of opposition hyperbole and was made without references to an objective measurement of the relevant tools for analyzing this; consider that Africa is abound with various measures in that respect. Consider also that the most fundamental basis always in our reference to ourselves and our relationship with the state, should be a reverence to firstly the constitution and then secondly other law, most things other than those that are codified in our law are arbitrary considerations.

She dully recognizes that the Namibian constitution is a fair and good instrument and that it enshrines the rights of the citizens of this country. However the assertion that the relevant provision in respect to the same are deliberately not adhered to is fallacious and devoid of logic and falls firmly in the ambit of polemic hyperbole. As Bona fide “defenders” of law, justice and democracy, Why then not defend the law in the courts. And seek the necessary legal recourse?

It is not my manner to consistently make reference to
the past in the analyze of nascent challenges, but in many cases we have to realize that there is a sound logical basis for such arguments on the odd occasion and this issue is one case in point. Democratic ideals both for leaders and the ordinary citizens take years and generations to entrench. So it is not odd in the Namibian instance that we have skirmishes. It is purely hogwash to say that SWAPO has not entrenched democracy in Namibia. In the first place while it is granted that SWAPO as the party in government has a major role to play in this endeavor, it is utterly nonsensical to say then that the failure of democracy is the fault of SWAPO.

Recently in the USA during the Texas “Two Step” as well as in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary, there was much uproar on the process its fairness and incidences of voter intimidation arose, even cases of cheating and actual fighting where recorded. Recently in Arkansas, the Democratic Party’s State Vice Chairman was shot and killed outside the parties’ state headquarters, in an attack that was largely seen to be politically motivated. Consider this against the background that even in a nation that is one of the world’s oldest liberal democracies, we do on the occasion react in an inappropriate manner.

My argument here is not that violence and intimidation is right but that it does occur in the process of a heated political race. The second predicate of my antithesis is that Namibia has an entrenched culture of antagonized politics with roots in the cold war era liberation struggle of the country.

In my modest view, we very often misinterpret the relative absence of our personal political values in the political system as unjust, this is wrong, selfish and at often times elitist. Democracy by its very nature presupposes that there are others in the polity that will have different views than that of our own.

Our democracy is young, fragile and in need of further consolidation, our nation is only now consolidating a new political culture and the odd occasional fracas must be condemned but let us please see such occurrences through the right lenses.

SWAPO should and will do its part to defend the gains of our liberation but so should others, the stakes have bearing on us all.

September 19, 2008 | 7:58 AM Comments  0 comments

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