The decision by transport minister Veikko Nekundi to order an investigation into alleged tribal bias at the Roads Authority has yet again dragged a long-simmering open secret into the public arena.
Nekundi was subsequently accused of hypocrisy for singling out one tribe.
While the debate signals a growing public outcry, the approach raises a critical question on whether we are treating the symptoms of a spreading disease.
Tribalism in recruitment is no longer just whispered in corridors; it is shouted in private conversations and on social media.
We have reached a point where there is a perception that Namibians often ignore credentials and count surnames when hiring. It often depends on who heads a parastatal or agency.
Nekundi’s 2025 investigation stems from his assumption that senior positions are dominated by a specific region.
The investigation found his assumption was wrong. Frankly, making such pronouncements without data or facts risks alienating thousands of competent officials whose only offence is to share a language or a village with those the minister suspects.
We need a frank discussion about tribalism. Pretending it doesn’t exist only delays a solution. Tribalism eats unity. Leaders should be careful not to cherry-pick what suits them.
Namibia fought a liberation struggle against a brutal racist system. By allowing tribalism to persist, we are essentially mirroring the oppression we overthrew.
When connections outweigh ability, the entire nation pays a price for mediocrity, incompetence and social stagnation.
Nekundi’s investigation feels like an ad hoc intervention that will not resolve the issue. Namibia already has affirmative action policies. The problem is not a lack of rules but rather skewing or abusing them to favour specific groups.
We are not encouraging tokenism nor ‘freebie jobs’ but a workforce should reflect our diversity. When one or two tribes benefit exclusively from economics, resources and job opportunities, social cohesion begins to fray.
We cannot simply appeal to the good grace of senior civil servants when thousands are competing for a single vacancy. Fairness must be baked into the system. It is vital to remember that pointing out tribalism is not tribalism; it is a necessary act to cleanse a now entrenched anomaly. But hypocrisy or grandstanding is problematic.
To move beyond the current deadlock, Namibia must insist on transparency in recruitment criteria and diversity considerations. Over the years, politicians have preached the mantra, ‘One Namibia, One Nation’. Slogans without action remain rhetoric if not backed by a change of mindset that ability has nothing to do with tribe.
Our late president Hage Geingob put it best: “Tribalism is when you say that only your people can be trusted in sensitive positions.”
We must move away from ad hoc ministerial probes and toward regular independent audits of hiring practices across all sectors.
Ensuring that redress policies serve to balance the nation rather than entrench new power monopolies is essential.
If we continue to let surnames dictate destiny, we remain a collection of tribes rather than a unified country.
