Dissolve The Left-Wing

NAMIBIA faces a bleak future in the short to the medium term. The country is suffering an acute crisis of political leadership at this time.

There is ever-increasing evidence of the massive looting of government resources as alluded to in the editorial ‘How Is It possible?’ (The Namibian, March 30), which pointed out the obvious discrepancies in the amounts recently announced for road construction. The Ministry of Works and Transport appears to be a prime example of this widespread corruption. Another case in this ministry was highlighted in the article ‘E-fuel tender up for review’ (The Namibian, March 30).There seems to be no interest whatsoever by these state functionaries to serve the people of the country. Only a feverish interest in tremendous self-enrichment is displayed. And it is sad to admit that it is becoming more obvious every day that the current President is a lame duck one. Even a cabinet reshuffle had to be shelved because this President was too scared to take bold decisions.The entire Namibian political class seems to have lost their direction.No fresh ideas are forthcoming and there is silence about the massive corruption in government. All the political class can give us are the stale slogans about the fight against colonialism or right-wing tribal stuff.The people of this country do not seem to realise in what dangerous times we live. When the Namibian political elite are eventually thoroughly discredited, they will bring the army out of barracks to smash the people’s resistance.An example of the crisis of political leadership in the country is reflected in the recent statements by the president of the Communist Party (CP) that ethnic minorities should secede (‘Communist Party proposes succession of minority ethnic groups’, The Namibian, March 29). It is indeed true that people have the democratic right to self-determination or to secede. However, we should keep in mind that, from a Leninist position, a ‘nation’ is simply defined as all those who live together within a politically independent state.A nation is a political, not a cultural, entity. This is why, for example, a Leninist approach encourages multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism. A ‘nation’ cannot be equated with social markers such as ‘tribe’ or ‘religion.’ If it is done, such a backward step contains all the dangers of civil war or permanent conflict as can be witnessed in the situation between India and Pakistan. Surely, we should debate this idea that a tribe or ethnic group can claim to have the right to secede. Instead of encouraging a civil war in which the working people will suffer, one would expect a communist party to promote a class war.It is simply mind-boggling that a communist party has nothing to say, for example, about the terrible exploitation of the security workers, or the dangers of copper to the health of mineworkers. There was a massive general strike in Spain last week to protest against their 23 per cent unemployment rate and austerity polices in general. In Namibia we are cursed with more than double that unemployment rate and austerity – so the CP is supposed to work around the clock for a Namibian general strike, the chief weapon of the working class.The CP seems to be guided by Stalin’s (and colonialism’s) discredited mono-cultural understanding of ‘nation’ and should realise that, in this historical era, a communist party generally symbolises the legacy of Stalinism.We should break away from the autocratic practices of the past. The demise of Stalinism gave the left-wing a wonderful opportunity of democratic space to clarify ideas.One of the greatest tragedies and weaknesses of Namibia is that it has never had a well-organised left-wing. The long history of colonialism ensured that mass consciousness here is dominated by right-wing ideology.So, it is perhaps time to dissolve the old left-wing parties. A new left-wing should rather follow the progressive definition of ‘nation’ by Lenin. We should consider forming a new socialist movement and fight for a democratic, multi-cultural and socialist Namibia. This is the only way to overcome the paralysis and dangers of the current political situation. Otherwise the looting will simply continue.CC SimasikuWindhoek