Led by example...

By: Political Perspective

ADULTS in Namibia have a lot to answer for.

In short, there are too few of them setting a good example to the

youth of today, and we should not be surprised if matters go from

bad to worse because this will be their inheritance if we continue

in the way we do in nearly all aspects of life.

Already young Namibians have become disconnected from issues

that should concern them, and this, combined with negative

socio-economic factors, paints a bleak picture for the future.

 

DENY it if you will, but the news is dominated by reports of

spiralling corruption in many sectors and people in positions of

responsibility who consistently abuse them; stories of child abuse

and neglect are constantly mirrored in the pages of the Namibian

press.

 

In short, there is little to inspire the youth of this country,

and few role models to capture their imagination and spur them on

to become good and responsible adults in their own right.

 

A grasping and greedy ethos seems to be what grips most of our

citizens.

 

The feeling of entitlement is pervasive.

 

Some feel they deserve top jobs, and often get them, without

working their way through the ranks as should be the case in order

to gain the necessary experience; others with more menial, but no

less important, work, also couldn't give a damn except for the

salary cheque which comes at month end and which is seldom enough

to satisfy them enough to give helpful, good and efficient and

friendly service.

 

The truly abused, those without any means of employment, or

those who remain exploited, are the silent ones.

 

Those who have few means of redress.

 

Those whom the politicians often refer to, but at the end of the

day, do little to better their lot in life.

 

Those Namibians fortunate enough to have jobs, however

low-paying, often seek quick and easy fixes to improve their

finances, rather than utilising all their skills to better the work

they do and in so doing, to gain promotion and move up the

employment ladder.

 

And they're doing this in turn because they see what's going on

in the upper echelons of the so-called elite, who, largely through

means more foul than fair, accumulate wealth.

 

Our service industry is largely dismal.

 

Sour faces abound.

 

People unhappy with their lot in life, and who regard the

customer as an irritant.

 

Never thinking through their attitudes.

 

If they give bad service, they chase away business, and in turn,

the place they work for generates less profit to pay them better

wages.

 

Graft, in the words of someone I spoke to about this subject

recently, is becoming a 'national pastime' and this, too, is

reflected daily in our news media.

 

And no, it is not, as some allege, an obsession of the media to

portray negative images.

 

If that is the news, we are simply reporting it.

 

We are after all, largely a mirror of our societies.

 

And this is what our youth sees, when they bother that is, to

read a newspaper or watch the news or even vote, for that

matter.

 

If only we had some statistics, I am sure they would bear out

what I am saying.

 

Quite rightly saying that 'sex abuse is becoming chronic' our

Women Affairs and Child Welfare Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah,

this week called for harsh steps against child abusers, even

castration, to try and stem the tide.

 

What we need far more than the measures she suggested, is a

drastic change of attitude on behalf of adults, because it is this

only that will change the way we think and act.

 

Chopping off body parts surely is not the solution to a problem

that is becoming endemic in our society.

 

With all our recent hearings and probes into wrongdoing at

various institutions, how often have we seen people being charged

or having to be made accountable for their actions? Just imagine

the message this conveys to our youth! Swapo may have had an

overwhelming election victory once again this year.

 

But they are ruling over and responsible for, a country that is

deteriorating in almost all sectors, and what, really, are they

doing about it?

 

And what do we have to be proud about right now?

 

Since a positive example is not being set by adults in general

terms, I can only express the hope that somewhere, somehow, our

youth will find the inner inspiration to find a new way forward for

an independent nation that seems to be unrepentant and unconcerned

that our country and our psyche are degenerating at a speedy

pace.

 

Already young Namibians have become disconnected from issues that

should concern them, and this, combined with negative

socio-economic factors, paints a bleak picture for the future.DENY

it if you will, but the news is dominated by reports of spiralling

corruption in many sectors and people in positions of

responsibility who consistently abuse them; stories of child abuse

and neglect are constantly mirrored in the pages of the Namibian

press.In short, there is little to inspire the youth of this

country, and few role models to capture their imagination and spur

them on to become good and responsible adults in their own right.A

grasping and greedy ethos seems to be what grips most of our

citizens.The feeling of entitlement is pervasive.Some feel they

deserve top jobs, and often get them, without working their way

through the ranks as should be the case in order to gain the

necessary experience; others with more menial, but no less

important, work, also couldn't give a damn except for the salary

cheque which comes at month end and which is seldom enough to

satisfy them enough to give helpful, good and efficient and

friendly service.The truly abused, those without any means of

employment, or those who remain exploited, are the silent

ones.Those who have few means of redress.Those whom the politicians

often refer to, but at the end of the day, do little to better

their lot in life.Those Namibians fortunate enough to have jobs,

however low-paying, often seek quick and easy fixes to improve

their finances, rather than utilising all their skills to better

the work they do and in so doing, to gain promotion and move up the

employment ladder.And they're doing this in turn because they see

what's going on in the upper echelons of the so-called elite, who,

largely through means more foul than fair, accumulate wealth.Our

service industry is largely dismal.Sour faces abound.People unhappy

with their lot in life, and who regard the customer as an

irritant.Never thinking through their attitudes.If they give bad

service, they chase away business, and in turn, the place they work

for generates less profit to pay them better wages.Graft, in the

words of someone I spoke to about this subject recently, is

becoming a 'national pastime' and this, too, is reflected daily in

our news media.And no, it is not, as some allege, an obsession of

the media to portray negative images.If that is the news, we are

simply reporting it.We are after all, largely a mirror of our

societies.And this is what our youth sees, when they bother that

is, to read a newspaper or watch the news or even vote, for that

matter.If only we had some statistics, I am sure they would bear

out what I am saying.Quite rightly saying that 'sex abuse is

becoming chronic' our Women Affairs and Child Welfare Minister,

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, this week called for harsh steps against

child abusers, even castration, to try and stem the tide.What we

need far more than the measures she suggested, is a drastic change

of attitude on behalf of adults, because it is this only that will

change the way we think and act.Chopping off body parts surely is

not the solution to a problem that is becoming endemic in our

society.With all our recent hearings and probes into wrongdoing at

various institutions, how often have we seen people being charged

or having to be made accountable for their actions? Just imagine

the message this conveys to our youth! Swapo may have had an

overwhelming election victory once again this year.But they are

ruling over and responsible for, a country that is deteriorating in

almost all sectors, and what, really, are they doing about it? And

what do we have to be proud about right now? Since a positive

example is not being set by adults in general terms, I can only

express the hope that somewhere, somehow, our youth will find the

inner inspiration to find a new way forward for an independent

nation that seems to be unrepentant and unconcerned that our

country and our psyche are degenerating at a speedy pace.

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