With A Foreigner’s Eyes

IT is always dangerous for a foreigner to comment on issues that he was not born into, let alone if he is just visiting a country.

As a voluntary aid worker, fighting against HIV-AIDS, I have been living in Namibia for six months. Maybe this is not enough time to comprehend the real motives and drivers of a society well enough to know the natural, economic or human barriers to its development, but it is long enough to form an opinion built on the many impressions and experiences I have gathered so far.Let me admit that I do not know the ways of living in the southern part of Namibia or in cities such as Windhoek or Walvis Bay.But, living and working in the northern part of the country (namely in the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto and Kavango regions), I have come close to the everyday lives of many families living in developed areas, informal settlements and traditional villages alike.I find Namibia a wonderful country with breathtaking natural beauty, developed transportation, utilities and retail infrastructure, a modern banking system and outstanding public security.The people are open and friendly and enjoy living in their own free country.But, and let me cut to the chase, they don’t live with their freedom.They do not use it in the wider, multifaceted meaning of the word.Where is the freedom of economy, where is the freedom of customer rights and where is the freedom of self-esteem, self-awareness or self-confidence, let alone the freedom of initiation? Don’t get me wrong; on paper they are all there.It is all included in the Constitution, supported and regulated by the laws and, in many cases, promoted and encouraged by the media.But people do not use them for their benefit, financial or moral alike; they do not stand up to their rights as citizens, as customers or, simply, as human beings.I saw when a State hospital sent home an HIV-positive child in need of ARV treatment untreated continuously for months due to “the lack of medical capacity”.I saw a testing centre turning down patients well within the trading hours just because the nurse on duty did not want to spoil her Friday afternoon with any more work.Taxi drivers squeeze in six passengers in their small cars and refuse to leave with fewer customers but charge, of course, the full fee.Bus drivers waste passengers’ time by operating unregulated and unscheduled.Restaurants do not serve the dishes listed on their menus.Companies provide services not meeting the agreed quality level.Just to take a few typical examples.My point is, however, not the quality or reliability of services.My concern is the people’s attitude and reaction, or better to say, the lack of reaction to similar unjust situations.They do not like complaining or are too shy to represent their own interests, I do not know.But usually they walk away without protest when they are scammed; in many cases they do not even realise the rip-off.In my understanding, most of the people are still socialised to accepting everything without reservation or questioning its sense or quality, be it a product, a service or a situation.They may not like it but never go as far as to raise their objection.Fighting windmills? Maybe, but I believe that people should stand up to their rights even in minor situations such as a cramped taxi or a reluctant medical employee.This more self-assured behaviour would increase the quality of products and reliability of services and would be beneficial to the development of a consumer society and, later, could become the basic of a real civil society.Namibia is still a very centralised country in economic, political and social terms as well.Basic decisions are made far from the people without consulting with them.People may feel discouraged to make local decisions.This can be one of the reasons why people always expect the solution from someone else – instead of taking the bull by the horns and getting it done by themselves.In a country where the national unemployment rate is 36 per cent and the lucky ones who have jobs must travel weekly to Windhoek or Walvis Bay from the countryside, people should rely less on the central Government and be more independent themselves.An obvious solution would be to open a small business or start a family enterprise that would help make ends meet.However, people do not rush to set up their own businesses.They often just sit on their hands and wait for something to happen.Even in existing businesses such as stores or restaurants the service is a bit slow and circumstantial and not really customer friendly.Somehow people still lack the necessary business thinking, the will or the initiative, and often overlook even obvious opportunities.It is a shame, as a flourishing SME sector is inevitable for the development of any country and a must for a strong middle class to emerge.But the same applies to national level as well.Namibia, after 16 years of Independence is still utterly dependent from South Africa.There is no independent manufacturing, utility sector or retail industry.I wonder why nobody wants to take advantage of Namibia’s excellent business environment: political stability, advanced and consistent legislative system, developed infrastructure, reliable transportation, and cheap labour force, just to mention a few.Still, there is practically no foreign investment in the country; there is no viable trade or industry development programmes, no professional higher education (with the exception of the one and only university); the minimal requirements to catalyse economic development.The people who are duly proud of their political independence unfortunately turn a blind eye to their country’s economic dependence and its many missed opportunities.The only encouragement, therefore, that I can give to the people is that they should be more open and more daring to take control of their own life.They should realise and utilise their own talent and ability.They should trust more in themselves and be less hesitant to invite foreign capital, companies and experts.All in all I believe that Namibia is on the right way to become the country its people have long dreamed of, and a role model for other countries.I am very happy that I could play a tiny part in its development.Zsolt Molnar Via e-mailMaybe this is not enough time to comprehend the real motives and drivers of a society well enough to know the natural, economic or human barriers to its development, but it is long enough to form an opinion built on the many impressions and experiences I have gathered so far.Let me admit that I do not know the ways of living in the southern part of Namibia or in cities such as Windhoek or Walvis Bay.But, living and working in the northern part of the country (namely in the Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto and Kavango regions), I have come close to the everyday lives of many families living in developed areas, informal settlements and traditional villages alike.I find Namibia a wonderful country with breathtaking natural beauty, developed transportation, utilities and retail infrastructure, a modern banking system and outstanding public security.The people are open and friendly and enjoy living in their own free country.But, and let me cut to the chase, they don’t live with their freedom.They do not use it in the wider, multifaceted meaning of the word.Where is the freedom of economy, where is the freedom of customer rights and where is the freedom of self-esteem, self-awareness or self-confidence, let alone the freedom of initiation? Don’t get me wrong; on paper they are all there.It is all included in the Constitution, supported and regulated by the laws and, in many cases, promoted and encouraged by the media.But people do not use them for their benefit, financial or moral alike; they do not stand up to their rights as citizens, as customers or, simply, as human beings.I saw when a State hospital sent home an HIV-positive child in need of ARV treatment untreated continuously for months due to “the lack of medical capacity”.I saw a testing centre turning down patients well within the trading hours just because the nurse on duty did not want to spoil her Friday afternoon with any more work.Taxi drivers squeeze in six passengers in their small cars and refuse to leave with fewer customers but charge, of course, the full fee.Bus drivers waste passengers’ time by operating unregulated and unscheduled.Restaurants do not serve the dishes listed on their menus.Companies provide services not meeting the agreed quality level.Just to take a few typical examples.My point is, however, not the quality or reliability of services.My concern is the people’s attitude and reaction, or better to say, the lack of reaction to similar unjust situations.They do not like complaining or are too shy to represent their own interests, I do not know.But usually they walk away without protest when they are scammed; in many cases they do not even realise the rip-off.In my understanding, most of the people are still socialised to accepting everything without reservation or questioning its sense or quality, be it a product, a service or a situation.They may not like it but never go as far as to raise their objection.Fighting windmills? Maybe, but I believe that people should stand up to their rights even in minor situations such as a cramped taxi or a reluctant medical employee.This more self-assured behaviour would increase the quality of products and reliability of services and would be beneficial to the development of a consumer society and, later, could become the basic of a real civil society.Namibia is still a very centralised country in economic, political and social terms as well.Basic decisions are made far from the people without consulting with them.People may feel discouraged to make local decisions.This can be one of the reasons why people always expect the solution from someone else – instead of taking the bull by the horns and getting it done by themselves.In a country where the national unemployment rate is 36 per cent and the lucky ones who have jobs must travel weekly to Windhoek or Walvis Bay from the countryside, people should rely less on the central Government and be more independent themselves.An obvious solution would be to open a small business or start a family enterprise that would help make ends meet.However, people do not rush to set up their own businesses.They often just sit on their hands and wait for something to happen.Even in existing businesses such as stores or restaurants the service is a bit slow and circumstantial and not really customer friendly.Somehow people still lack the necessary business thinking, the will or the initiative, and often overlook even obvious opportunities.It is a shame, as a flourishing SME sector is inevitable for the development of any country and a must for a strong middle class to emerge.But the same applies to national level as well.Namibia, after 16 years of Independence is still utterly dependent from South Africa.There is no independent manufacturing, utility sector or retail industry.I wonder why nobody wants to take advantage of Namibia’s excellent business environment: political stability, advanced and consistent legislative system, developed infrastructure, reliable transportation, and cheap labour force, just to mention a few.Still, there is practically no foreign investment in the country; there is no viable trade or industry development programmes, no professional higher education (with the exception of the one and only university); the minimal requirements to catalyse economic development.The people who are duly proud of their political independence unfortunately turn a blind eye to their country’s economic dependence and its many missed opportunities.The only encouragement, therefore, that I can give to the people is that they should be more open and more daring to take control of their own life.They should realise and utilise their own talent and ability.They should trust more in themselves and be less hesitant to invite foreign capital, companies and experts.All in all I believe that Namibia is on the right way to become the country its people have long dreamed of, and a role model for other countries.I am very happy that I could play a tiny part in its development.Zsolt Molnar Via e-mail