IN response to the “Black Empowerment” and “Apartheid” issues raised in the August 27th edition: I’m getting fed-up with people beating the black empowerment and apartheid drum fifteen years after independence.
Is white dominance really that well entrenched that black Namibians cannot wrench that power from the possessor in fifteen years, in spite of overwhelming black empowerment and anti-racism legislation, a black government, and numerous black empowerment aid organizations and programs? No, it was not. A black person now has all the head-start he/she will ever have, and it is time that you take it and do something with it.That does not mean calling for more financial help, blaming financial institutions and wanting a black quotation system instead of a three quotation system.It means rolling up your shirt-sleeves and thinking and working for it.If your enterprise is based on sound economic principles and hard work, you are guaranteed to be successful.Try being less racist and start learning from the “oppressor”.You will discover that he is willing to teach, if you are willing to learn.To think that Namibia’s woes will be over as soon as black empowerment is achieved (coming to think of it, how do we want to measure this?When can we sit back and say: “OK, we have achieved black empowerment and affirmative action, now we can sit back and relax.”) is short-sighted and very dangerous in the long run.I suggest that the problem is our definition of black-empowerment, or maybe our understanding and aim of it.Black empowerment for us means giving the fat cat in the black Merc even more.Sad, because he/she has so much already, and sad because it WILL NOT alleviate crime, Aids, unemployment, unsustainable population growth, under education, unequal wealth distribution, etc.That problem (THE problem) would have been addressed if we focused our efforts at the grass-roots level, because this is where it lies.Yet we choose not to educate them in economic principles.We choose to continue waving this flag of racism and blaming all that is white for any and all of our problems.Our highest authority even blamed Aids on the whites! And by the time black empowerment eventually reaches the poor black worker, he/she is so brainwashed by his politically chosen representative that he has no idea what to do with it, and as with any stillborn idea, it goes to waste.If you believe what you stand for, keep on blaming the whites.Keep on calling for financial hand-outs.I don’t think it will get you anywhere.But if you want a lasting solution, have a long and honest look at yourself and the ideas you surround yourself with, and you may come to the conclusion that they are not worth the paper they are written on, and that embracing a policy of accepting responsibility for your own destiny and joining into reconciliation pro-actively may actually change this life you have for the better.Arthur Goetz Via e-mailA black person now has all the head-start he/she will ever have, and it is time that you take it and do something with it.That does not mean calling for more financial help, blaming financial institutions and wanting a black quotation system instead of a three quotation system.It means rolling up your shirt-sleeves and thinking and working for it.If your enterprise is based on sound economic principles and hard work, you are guaranteed to be successful.Try being less racist and start learning from the “oppressor”.You will discover that he is willing to teach, if you are willing to learn.To think that Namibia’s woes will be over as soon as black empowerment is achieved (coming to think of it, how do we want to measure this?When can we sit back and say: “OK, we have achieved black empowerment and affirmative action, now we can sit back and relax.”) is short-sighted and very dangerous in the long run.I suggest that the problem is our definition of black-empowerment, or maybe our understanding and aim of it.Black empowerment for us means giving the fat cat in the black Merc even more.Sad, because he/she has so much already, and sad because it WILL NOT alleviate crime, Aids, unemployment, unsustainable population growth, under education, unequal wealth distribution, etc.That problem (THE problem) would have been addressed if we focused our efforts at the grass-roots level, because this is where it lies.Yet we choose not to educate them in economic principles.We choose to continue waving this flag of racism and blaming all that is white for any and all of our problems.Our highest authority even blamed Aids on the whites! And by the time black empowerment eventually reaches the poor black worker, he/she is so brainwashed by his politically chosen representative that he has no idea what to do with it, and as with any stillborn idea, it goes to waste.If you believe what you stand for, keep on blaming the whites.Keep on calling for financial hand-outs.I don’t think it will get you anywhere.But if you want a lasting solution, have a long and honest look at yourself and the ideas you surround yourself with, and you may come to the conclusion that they are not worth the paper they are written on, and that embracing a policy of accepting responsibility for your own destiny and joining into reconciliation pro-actively may actually change this life you have for the better.Arthur Goetz Via e-mail
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