Jul
9
Hungry Country
July 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
According to a report nearly a third of Namibia’s population will require food aid:
From instablogs.com
WINDHOEK - NAMIBIA: Nearly a half a million people in Namibia will require food aid relief in the coming 8 months in order to survive, a new study has revealed. The Emergency Management Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister in co-operation with the World Food Progam undertook the study.
The findings are expected to be presented to the Cabinet in the coming days to enable it to take a decision regarding the recommendations made by the study. According to the Premier, Nahas Angula, the time has come for Namibians to stand together in finding ways to assist the the less privileged in Namibian society…
Popularity: 57% [?]
Jul
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Popularity: 72% [?]
Jul
4
Lifting the veil of secrecy…
July 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In the Namibian of Friday, 4 July 2008 Alfred Tjiurimo writes that open communication is essential for the consolidation of Namibian democracy, in a piece entitled: Lifting veil of secrecy crucial to deepening democracy:
In recent weeks, two issues underlining a dangerous culture of withholding
information were revealed, with possible disastrous consequences for
our democracy.First,reading that the opposition parties attended a secret meeting at the
Office of the Prime Minister at which constitutional amendments were
discussed is enough to make one feel as if your liver is being removed
without anaesthesia.The opposition is the custodian of transparent governance, in particular
when it relates to issues that have no security implications.Amending the Constitution in a democracy does not fit that definition.
So, the question that props up is why such a debate, or even why the initiative itself, is withheld from the broader public eye.
Second, the discussion about splitting the functions of the Attorney General
from those of the Minister of Justice was revealed in a newspaper exposé as having gone on for a while as a top secret in the form of a letter within the Office of the President.Ordinarily,such a discussion is about creating the best possible institutional fit
to effect good governance and not about Pendukeni Ithana per se.If it relates to the individual, the Swapo party has a common sense congress resolution of last year that calls for the Secretary General of the Party to commit full-time to party affairs.
Additionally,common sense would dictate that even if an individual had super-human abilities, it is difficult to occupy these three positions and excel at
them in equal measure.It begs then the question as to what purpose such a discussion has if it does not involve Pendukeni Ithana as the incumbent regarding the changes.
Secrecy in this case would make it appear as if the process is aimed at annoying the individual, while in essence it shouldn’t.
As consequences of these events (among others), it is hard to form an
idea about the intended finalities of our current efforts at consolidating democracy.It is equally difficult to discern as to which countries or models inspire our democratic process.
Africa does not have many success stories for our young democracy, nor does it
have strong continental democratic institutions that could serve as a guidepost for the process of democratisation in respective countries as is the case with the European Union and its conditionalities for membership.Therefore, as a young country, it is important that we have a certain vision or a model of democracy.
To do so, would demand, not just improvising dangerously, but also studying the democratic success stories elsewhere.
It would mean, observing - like a student doing an internship - with the world, notably its success stories as the place for that internship.
In Robert Dahl’s classification of democracy as “participation and contestation”, we exist as a realistic democracy.
But I believe that our discussion must be replaced by efforts aimed at understanding the nature of democratic institutions, how they function,
and the reasons why they develop and collapse.We need to note that at some point Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe met the
definition advanced by Joseph Schumpeter in his path-breaking study,
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy: democracy as a process of fair,
honest and periodic elections through institutional arrangements.But this didn’t stop Mugabe’s Zimbabwe from descending into despotism.
Thus, the demand for thinking and leading like democrats is urgent.
I have bemoaned the lack of political communication on the part of
government, even if I am not too sure if it is a failure of the media
to probe government effectively.But the reality is that we have internalised a dodgy political culture
(largely perfected in liberation politics), which shrouds everything in
secrecy, even the most mundane of issues.The process of amending the Constitution is not the business of the
executive and opposition MPs invited for secret meetings, it should be
the people’s choice to debate the pros and cons of such amendments.Even if we don’t raise objections, the right to that information is a
cardinal principle of democratic governance.Progressive governance
would imply throwing the idea out for public consumption, even if a
draft amendment does not exist.It could be a presidential statement or a press conference selling the thought or the reasons for the amendments.
With regard to the split of the AG and Minister of Justice position, we need
to place the public good above individual interests or settling scores
through tinkering with public offices.We have personalised offices to the point where we can’t even discuss the
nature of offices or their relevance in changing governance conditions.If separating these offices is not aimed at settling political scores, and
I assume and hope it is not, why keep it a secret from the individual
concerned? In fact, Ithana must be part of the process from the very
beginning.Confident and inclusive regimes are transparent and they don’t fear public opinion, nor do they personalise office.
If government goes about its business in secret, the consequences for our democracy are too ghastly to contemplate.
To avoid this, we may have to start distributing Samuel Huntington’s work
“The Third Wave: Democratization in the late Twentieth Century” to our
elected officials for practical advice on how to succeed in the process
of democratisation.* Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris- Panthéon Sorbonne, France
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Tags: Namibia, politics, democracy, regime, PG, AG, PM, Ithana, Namibian newspaper
Popularity: 100% [?]
Jul
3
Foreign learners barred from visiting State House
July 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
From the Namibian Economist:
Viewing of the newly-inaugurated State House has been narrowed down to Namibian citizens only.
The State house was the centre of dispute between a local private school principal and a police officer posted at the northern gate entrance on June 13, 2008. The private school, largely dominated by white learners, went on a pre-arranged visit to State House; only to be refused entrance upon arrival on grounds that the school did not follow protocol.
The principal, who refused to be identified, said the school was requested to provide a list containing its learners’ names prior to the visit, but was told to produce the learners’ identification documents on the actual day of the visit.
The principal, who then tried to sort out the mix-up with the commanding officer, was surprised when asked by the police officer: “How will I know they are Namibians and not South African?”
As opposed to the Heroes’ Acre, the principal deemed the State House an ideal place to teach the children about the country’s history, with emphasis on the liberation struggle. But despite that, the police officer said, “I wouldn’t mind taking these student to State House once the system becomes more inclusive.”
Another principal, whose school is scheduled to visit the school this Friday, said the school was alerted not to take foreign learners along for the trip. “What can we do? We are only following orders,” said the principal, who also asked for anonymity for fear of reprisals against the school. Although there have been no clear answers on why foreign learners are forbidden from visiting the State House, a senior official in the Office of the President said: “The police officer who refused foreign children entrance was only acting upon a directive received from the Office of the President, and the incident should be left alone, as it is being blown out of proportion.” (Read on..)
Now, the new State House has been mired in controversy from its inception. Not only the price tag of 400 million Namibia Dollars/Rand but also its construction by North Korea. Many Namibians have questioned how Namibia can really afford such an expense when the majority of its population lived on poverty. Could this be the African way?
Popularity: 91% [?]
Jul
3
Big Dune, single tree, Sossusvlei, NAMIBIA.
July 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Big Dune, single tree, Sossusvlei, NAMIBIA.Originally uploaded by photosecosseA view of the dunes of the Namib dessert. It is a good reflection of Namibia. In this blog I will endeavour to post news and tidbits about Namibia.
Popularity: 71% [?]
