We Are Each Other’s Keepers: Diversity And Divergence

By: Citizen Nahas Angula

THE Delimitation Commission, drought and general poverty in the country seem to have triggered some kind of pent-up tension among communities. This and that community is demanding this and that in the name of whatever. It is clear, however, that these demands are motivated by underlying social tensions.

What are these underlying tensions?  In this short article I shall explore some of the issues which seem to be the motivating force underpinning these tensions.
Competition for resources    
A study conducted by the World Food Programme on behalf of the Office Prime Minister titled Emergency Food Security Assessment in Communal and Resettlement Areas of Namibia, May 2013, paints a bleak picture about life in communal and resettlement areas.
Analysing the predominant sources of income and external support, the report found that the main source of income in communal and resettlement areas is the social pensions paid to the elderly. Social pensions constituted 28.5 percent of household incomes. Food crop production and sales contributed 12.8 percent to households income and livestock production and sales contributed 11.6 percent. Other major contributions to households income in communal and resettlement areas are casual labour at 11.7 percent, remittances at six percent and wages at six percent. Of note is the fact that wild food collection formed 2.1 percent and food assistance formed 2.4 percent of income in communal and resettlement areas. Begging and gifts contributed 1.8 percent and 1.8 percent respectively.
These figures show that societies which used to be self-sufficient are now depended upon external sources of income. This situation cannot just be blamed on droughts and floods. The underlying causes of rural poverty are underdevelopment, lack of arable and grazing land, low production technologies and other critical assistance to communal and resettlement residents.
This situation further explains the massive rural urban migration. Moreover, such a situation is a breeding ground for all sorts of phobias including fear of those considered to be “foreign” in a particular area. Underlying such a phobia is the competition for diminishing resources. Our social and cultural diversity has become a source of divergence and a point of departure. Everything is now perceived in the mirror of “us” and “them”; “ours” and “theirs”; “Oshiwambo” and “non-Oshiwambo speaking”, etc, etc.
This is certainly a slippery road our nation is travelling on. How could such retrogressive tendencies be addressed?
Toward the Politics of Convergence
First and foremost, the political message and action should change. We must work seriously to create an inclusive society. The starting block is that political actors should be true public servants. An authentic public servant is a person who works for the public good and not for him or herself. Such a person is guided by the virtues of inclusiveness, sharing and honesty.
Perceived self enrichment or corruption feeds into negative attitude of “us” and “them”. In Kenya they coined a term: “It is our turn to eat.” This implies that someone is excluded from eating. The one who feels excluded will certainly resist exclusion. It is imperative, therefore, that the actions and behaviours of political actors should be informed by civic virtue, the notion of promoting the public good.
Secondly, we must re-examine our development priorities. We must invest more in social and community development. Such investment shall enable ordinary people to benefit from health services, education and economic development at the community level. We must build resilient communities.
I would go further to propose that the development budget should have a strong component of social and community development. We, in fact, need a ministry of community development. Such a ministry shall work closely with regional councillors to jointly implement community development initiatives. In this way, communities shall be assisted to improve their production capacities.
Currently, we are investing a lot in machinery to implement projects such as the green scheme. We need to similarly invest in appropriate rural technologies in order to improve economic production at the household level.
Finally, the power of traditional authorities should be re-examined. Their power should be redirected toward convergence rather than divergence.
We are each other’s keepers
Namibia is a big country with abundant resources. The challenge is how to use such resources in an equitable manner. We must come together to design an economic development plan based on the ethos of social justice. Such an economic plan should aim at empowering the common man. It should enable communities to share resources and improve their production capacities. It should promote sustainable livelihoods in our communities.
In the final analysis such a plan should demonstrate that we are each other’s keepers. Our cultural diversity should therefore not be a source of divergence but rather of convergence. This should  genuinely promote unity in diversity. Namibia must remain a fountain of peace and stability.

---