Time For Equality

SIXTEEN years ago we celebrated Independence Day with hope for a brighter future. We celebrated the end of an apartheid system which ruined so many lives and destroyed people’s dignity.

So everybody was excited because a system was coming where there would be equality. It meant the end of discrimination in every area of life.Basically it meant equal opportunities for everybody.A Namibia with a brighter future.A Namibia for all.I realised recently that the President is being referred to as the Namibian President on NBC news.I like it.It means a President for everybody regardless of race, colour, etc.Not only for Swapo supporters.Can we say the same about the Government offices in this country? Does everyone have access to these offices? Can everybody with potential become Ministers, etc, regardless of race? Let us look at the education system.It is true that every Namibian has access to education.But my concern is the quality of education.More Grade 10 learners are ending up on the streets with no hope, no future.How can our lost dignity be restored and our quality of life improved if we do not have the right skills to do the job and feed our children? It is being said that we do not have the skills and then foreigners are being employed in our places.Let us have a look at the Health System.Did it improve after 16 years of Independence? Or did it get worse? The apartheid system at least built us a Katutura Hospital and a Central Hospital.What have our leaders built us? How many Namibians are employed? How can our dignity be restored if we do not have a job to look after our families? When a family suffers, the whole nation suffers.A healthy family produces a healthy nation.We need to have the skills to do the jobs to feed the families.But the scholarships go only to the already-haves.Sixteen years of Independence, the inequality continues.We want to see at least that diamonds are processed in this country to provide jobs and a living to the people.No more exporting of our resources.We want this to stop.If De Beers wants to help the people of this country, let them set up places where these minerals can be processed.We must start to correct the injustice done in this country we must start to bring about equality before it is too late.We must start to empower the people and train the people.Do we sit and wait until one day the handouts stop and income dries up because of corruption in Africa and start to grab land left and right? Or do we act now? A Namibian Via e-mailIt meant the end of discrimination in every area of life.Basically it meant equal opportunities for everybody.A Namibia with a brighter future.A Namibia for all.I realised recently that the President is being referred to as the Namibian President on NBC news.I like it.It means a President for everybody regardless of race, colour, etc.Not only for Swapo supporters.Can we say the same about the Government offices in this country? Does everyone have access to these offices? Can everybody with potential become Ministers, etc, regardless of race? Let us look at the education system.It is true that every Namibian has access to education.But my concern is the quality of education.More Grade 10 learners are ending up on the streets with no hope, no future.How can our lost dignity be restored and our quality of life improved if we do not have the right skills to do the job and feed our children? It is being said that we do not have the skills and then foreigners are being employed in our places.Let us have a look at the Health System.Did it improve after 16 years of Independence? Or did it get worse? The apartheid system at least built us a Katutura Hospital and a Central Hospital.What have our leaders built us? How many Namibians are employed? How can our dignity be restored if we do not have a job to look after our families? When a family suffers, the whole nation suffers.A healthy family produces a healthy nation.We need to have the skills to do the jobs to feed the families.But the scholarships go only to the already-haves.Sixteen years of Independence, the inequality continues.We want to see at least that diamonds are processed in this country to provide jobs and a living to the people.No more exporting of our resources.We want this to stop.If De Beers wants to help the people of this country, let them set up places where these minerals can be processed.We must start to correct the injustice done in this country we must start to bring about equality before it is too late.We must start to empower the people and train the people.Do we sit and wait until one day the handouts stop and income dries up because of corruption in Africa and start to grab land left and right? Or do we act now? A Namibian Via e-mail