Chasing the dots ... Sugar Daddy Politics

Chris Smith

Chris Smith

That our “new” government (GRN) would enter the fray professing “scientific socialism” and all that went with it, upliftment of the masses, great visions of financial and social equality and rebellion against the evils of colonialism, imperialism and whatever other “ism” could be blamed. The general tone of the optimistic papers were that Swapo, once in power would promote democracy in its basic form, replace many of the old power holders and set us on a road to “nationalism”.

Certainly “Marxism”, while then much talked about, would not be the way, ultimately a softer form of “fascism”, disguised as “nationalism”, would emerge from the “hidden” political agenda to monopolise power through control of assets and cash flows with significant financial “slippage” to those in power. And, although the predicted route was not so accurate the interim destinations were remarkably true. Yes, these thoughts were based on happenings in Zambia and Zimbabwe at the time, both countries who have radically changed places since then in terms of economic, democratic and political positioning. None of which was anticipated!

At that time (around 1988) Zim was a rising star and Zam a bleeding disaster! Such is history, such reversals, even in a 25 year time frame? Unsurprisingly these writers and myself did not predict further for the coming Namibia beyond observing the road to increasing nationalism apart from identifying that politics moved in mysterious ways and that ultimately it would be accepted that the “blame game” would lose credible traction and that the political animal would suffer increasing levels of frustration as the dogma route proved unrewarding.

And that is where, after 24 years we find ourselves. The cash flows and national silverwear are slowly drying up and competition to subordinate them is intensifying introducing cracks in the party system and society at large. Increasing public sector silence on matters critical is becoming deafening! Where to now? What clues?

It was Angula’s Army needing its food chain outsourcing that amused me as, like Napoleon, I thought of our heading into battle lead by e-Mercedes, batmen, double cabs and a line of mobile baronial dining rooms, bars and camp supporters, no doubt with the private helicopter class picking up the tabs! But it was the opening of the Divundu Vision 2030 school for high flyers that gave the greatest clue when the opening speech warned girls not to fall victim to the “sugar daddies” which HE identified as being “around”!

This is the reversal of victim into propagator and gives that clue to our political thinking process. As HE observed when BossCop, the criminals are all close by and known to us, not hiding in the bush! Our thinking is protect the strong, blame the weak. But silence on why it took 7 years to build this school.

As with our voting system. Will we have a credible voters roll? How do I know the machine put my vote where it says it does without a receipt? How can I achieve my right to spoil a vote slip?

We all know what the national problems are, what we are not doing is making solutions that work. Namibians are patronised by the handouts from the political sugar daddies and then blamed for not resisting such actions when they are hungry.

Our gender lot stay quiet, our election lot say nothing and we, as Namibians have no elected individual to chase. Sugar daddies win!

csmith@mweb.com.na