Inside The State Of The Nation

THE week in passing has been an important one for three known reasons.

First, it was crucial because of the formalities of Government with the President having given a detailed overview of the state of our nation.Second, it was sadly the week in which the Finance Minister gave responses and justifications for the 2009/10 Appropriations Bill.Third, at Swapo party level, it marks the 49th anniversary of the ruling party, which will serve as a guidepost for our collective future if we assume that Swapo will be in power by next year March 21.On the latter, the party has announced a review of the ruling party manifesto, which by and large is also related to the Appropriation Bill. As a Namibian, irrespective of location, all these events are important for they also speak about my future. Therefore, my reasons for being upbeat or not about the country equally speaks of the opportunities that this country may offer me or not as an individual.Being a pundit, which by all accounts is not a cosy undertaking in a limping democracy, optimism in such difficult times is a hard call when one considers the global economic conjuncture and its obvious impact on the Namibian economy.Ceteris, as is usual paribus, when economies contract, opportunities also contract. And in such circumstances, we look at elected officials as policy makers to take us out of our depressed holes.This week provided such a perspective. Looking at it this way, the state of the nation address stands out as the most crucial in terms of infusing us with a sense of optimism and hope. Ordinarily, the state of the nation address ought to be a sobering analysis about where we are as a country.Second, it provides important pointers about how the state will intervene to shape our lives for the better.I should admit that it highlights important successes on the part of government, not only during the year under review, but it also pinpoints the overall gains of the past nineteen years.Reading through the pages of the President’s state of the nation is fairly easy to infuse the most demanding Namibians with a sense of optimism. It provides a rich list of what it is that we are doing right as a country.However, what has become a worrying feature of the state of the nation address is the absence of an objective and concrete review of what ought to be done to enhance efficiency within the government system.Our problems are not just a matter of conjuncture – they have to do with systemic inefficiency.There is a need for a shift in mentalities and ultimately how to go about the business of governance.Yet, we only get a general statement about how we will ‘improve the performance of the public service in the new financial year and in the future’.So instead of the presidential address smooching us in all sorts of directions by showing the best suit, it must also point to how we deal with systemic inefficiencies.That is but one part of my worry. The second main worry with the tone of the state of the nation address, which appears to be a consequence of the Appropriation Bill, points to the absence of any ambitious projects in these uncertain times. When Namibians are losing jobs, they expect more from government beyond hope and optimism, including the usual manning of existing posts.After all, practical experience has shown that hope and optimism are not sufficient conditions in uncertain times. The point that ought to be underscored is that we are living in uncertain and difficult times.This suggests that the state of the nation, in particular this one, ought not to have been a document that leaves us with a sense of déjà-vu.It must go beyond the obvious statement into much bolder and courageous projects that would provide jobs and a sustainable future.It is this lack of ambition for the future in this uncertain climate that was so flagrantly absent in the state of the nation address. * Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris- Panthéon Sorbonne, France.