‘Sleeping Namibians need electric shock’

NAMIBIANS need to wake up and start using resources to their advantage and for the benefit of the country’s economy, former President Sam Nujoma has said.

Speaking at the second annual general meeting of Team Namibia in Windhoek yesterday, Nujoma said Namibians needed a reality check, or to be jolted into action to fully utilise the riches God had bestowed upon the country. “Namibia is a rich country inhabited by sleeping people.We need an electric shock,” he said, much to the amusement of those gathered for the AGM.Nujoma was encouraging locals to take advantage of the country’s endowments – among them a climate suitable for growing crops like dates and grapes along the Orange River and breeding pigs, which could generate much-needed foreign earnings – and boost the country’s competitiveness on the global market.According to Nujoma, Namibia has high-quality products such as dates, grapes, diamonds and beef which should be marketed aggressively.”There’s no shock to wake us up.We are still sleeping and yet we need to produce these commodities.”This was mainly directed to Team Namibia, whom Nujoma challenged to be proactive and visit farmers and get insight into what they are producing.Nujoma said normally foreigners were the ones pointing out Namibia’s economic potential, while locals seemed oblivious of the obvious.He called on Team Namibia to approach retailers and see that locally manufactured products were given shelf space, as increased local consumption of these products would lead to increased manufacturing of local goods.Team Namibia was established in 2004 and its main objective is to promote and market locally produced goods and services.”Namibia is a rich country inhabited by sleeping people.We need an electric shock,” he said, much to the amusement of those gathered for the AGM.Nujoma was encouraging locals to take advantage of the country’s endowments – among them a climate suitable for growing crops like dates and grapes along the Orange River and breeding pigs, which could generate much-needed foreign earnings – and boost the country’s competitiveness on the global market.According to Nujoma, Namibia has high-quality products such as dates, grapes, diamonds and beef which should be marketed aggressively.”There’s no shock to wake us up.We are still sleeping and yet we need to produce these commodities.”This was mainly directed to Team Namibia, whom Nujoma challenged to be proactive and visit farmers and get insight into what they are producing.Nujoma said normally foreigners were the ones pointing out Namibia’s economic potential, while locals seemed oblivious of the obvious.He called on Team Namibia to approach retailers and see that locally manufactured products were given shelf space, as increased local consumption of these products would lead to increased manufacturing of local goods.Team Namibia was established in 2004 and its main objective is to promote and market locally produced goods and services.