On Namibia’s Rural Cashless Society
NAMIBIA boasts one of the highest GDPs per capita on the African continent. Which is in on average five times the per capita GDP of Africa’s poorest countries. This should ideally mean that Namibians should all enjoy a reasonable standard of living, but this is not the case.
The reason for this is that Namibia has one of the highest income inequalities in the world, meaning that gap between those that have and those that don’t have is extremely high.
One of the reasons for this in my view is the fact that about half of Namibians rely on subsistence farming for their survival. So this means that although many Namibians in rural areas have food at their disposal, what they don’t have is cash at their disposal. Noting that the cost of living in Namibia is considered high, this presents a big dilemma for Namibia’s Rural cashless society.
The recent news of the intended commercialisation of mahangu by Government came as music to my ears. Although lip service has been paid to mahangu commercialisation before, this time if properly implemented this could mean that northern rural farmers could be given the chance to sufficiently participate and benefit from the formal economy. I am also in support of the plea by the communal mahangu, farmers from Mangetti who said that Government should consider buying a yearly quota of mahangu (millet) from communal farmers, as it is does with commercial maize growers.
Their reasons are simple “mahangu growers could earn some money from their produce, it would enable parents to afford their children’s school uniforms, support their families and buy fertilizers for their fields.” [as stated in The Namibian 11.08.05]. I applaud the Government in their efforts in this regard and hope that this is an indication of a positive slant of policy. I personally believe that Rural Agrarian Reform, should not be focused only on land redistribution (although it is important), but also on the utilization of the land available to rural previously disadvantaged persons, to the maximum commercial and economic potential. Having in mind that Namibia currently imports about 50 percent of its cereal requirements, which should not be the case.
However this ‘pro communal farmers’ approach should not be limited to mahangu only. Although there are limitations, there are various crops that can grow reasonably well in Namibian rural areas. I understand peanuts are grown on subsistence basis in the Kavango Region, in Northern Namibia a variety of beans, pumpkins, watermelons etc. What the relevant Government organs should do is implement measures to commercialize such produce for the local market and also assist to improve the yields and qualities of the produce. We should establish a separate department to examine, and implement all possible means available to emancipate our rural cashless society, which will in turn address the issue of the rush to cities to look for non-existent jobs.
Namibia has seen economic growth since independence but the rural majority are yet to benefit sufficiently. Uranium, diamonds and copper does not directly benefit the rural poor. Rural agricultural reform is the only way in which we will ensure that we don’t have a rural cashless society.
In Windhoek people complain about streetlights not working. While in rural areas people complain about where to find money to pay N$ 10 for transport to the clinic. Let this be the beginning of a paradigm shift. Rural Agrarian Reform should top governments priorities, more than half the population are depending on it.
Henry H Shimutwikeni
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