Adopting socialism was a mistake – Geingob

SWAPO president Hage Geingob says adopting socialism as its political and economic ideology was a mistake on the part of the ruling party.

This is because it has proven troublesome to implement.

Geingob made these remarks on Saturday when he launched a public lecture intended to define Swapo’s socialist ideology.

The president said the party has also failed to define and understand what socialism in the context of Namibia entails.

He said although the party aligns with the ideology of socialism, its leaders and ordinary members are not living up to these standards.

According to him, Swapo leaders and members are becoming more anti-socialist with a growing hostility against some of the last socialist countries in the world, such as China, North Korea and Cuba.

He said Swapo was lacking in terms of expressing solidarity with these countries.

Swapo’s youth is instead preoccupied with petty gossip and tribalism, he said.

“We, the leaders, made a mistake because of young people to adopt this policy without studying it as we are doing now, without looking at the pros and cons of it. However, it is now a policy and it is in your hands. We must now look at how we are going to implement it . . . The future is becoming more tribalistic. Where are you taking us? We only had one tribe in Swapo and that is a Swapo tribe,” he said.

At independence, Swapo did not abandon its ideological position as a socialist, Marxist-Leninist movement.

The party, however, implemented a capitalist ideology from 1990 until 2018 when changes to its constitution were approved to adopt socialism with Namibian characteristics.

This move has been criticised by many Namibians, including some of Swapo’s prominent members, for lacking a “grassroots socialist” nature.

Geingob said it is difficult for Swapo to implement socialism in its fullest form after the country has already adopted a liberal Constitution.

He said the party also seems to be struggling to adapt to current realities, as China and other socialist countries have done.

“China’s system of socialism is well grounded and will never change. It has to do with the provision of services to the people and it is thriving. How did China, Cuba and other countries manage to do it?” he asked.

“With this socialism, are we going to nationalise the means of production? Who owns the means of production in Namibia? . . . This is the problem we have here. What are our characteristics?

A mixed economy which is not well implemented? That’s the problem?” he asked.

Nationalising production would also not be possible as Geingob said the Constitution protects individuals’ property rights.

Geingob said he was disappointed at the inactivity of Swapo’s youth when it comes to issues affecting other socialist countries, such as Cuba and North Korea.

“I don’t see young people demonstrating. I don’t see them angry. Who are we with as revolutionaries if we are not with Cuba? If we are not with China, what is your reference point? You cannot hate people who are revolutionaries and think you are a revolutionary. You cannot be a tribalist, regionalist and call yourself a revolutionary,” he said.

He added: “If you take Cuba, they are under siege because of America’s imperialism. Where are the youth to demonstrate against the blockade by America? Those people helped us, but I don’t hear you talking about those issues . . . No solidarity with Cuba, but we are calling ourselves revolutionaries?”

Former minister of justice Sacky Shanghala earlier this year also criticised Swapo’s ideological position, saying it is outdated and needs to adopt a modern economic, social and political programme to survive.

Shangala said the party needs to redefine its economic policy, because the 1991 political party programme does not suffice to meet the demands of the day.

He said Swapo’s ideology of socialism with Namibian characteristics could never be a reality in Namibia, because it clashes with the Constitution, which provides for a mixed economy.

To solve this legal predicament and to fully implement it’s socialistic economic policies, Shanghala said Swapo needs to “either amend the Namibian Constitution to conform with its party constitution, or continue to exist with an ideology it cannot implement”.

In the same document, titled ‘A modern economic, social and political programme – Namibian socialism’, dated March 2021, the former minister also challenged claims that Namibia was endowed with natural resources.

Hence the need to align Swapo’s ideology to Namibia’s existing economic, social and political realities.

Once the party’s ideology is in place, it can direct government policies and plans to action, not vice versa, as the civil servants are not all Swapo members and may hold and attempt to execute policies, programmes and actions undercutting stated Swapo objectives.

The policymaker and policy implementer must be of the same mind, Shanghala said.

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