N$30 Million for a Funeral Amid Hardship

I am compelled to write in response to the excessive amount of N$30 million spent on the funeral of our founding president, a figure that strikes me as both unnecessary and profoundly out of touch with the realities facing our country.

While the founding president was undeniably loved and respected by many, I believe it is crucial to ask whether such extravagant expenditure was truly in line with the needs of our people, particularly in light of the persistent challenges we face: widespread hunger, unemployment, and poverty.

As a developing nation, we are all too familiar with the harsh realities of the daily lives of our citizens. Families across the country are struggling to put food on the table, young people are desperately seeking work, and communities remain in dire need of healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

These are not abstract issues; they are lived realities for far too many of our citizens. And yet, despite these challenges, we spent an amount that could have provided meaningful change – food security programmes, job-creation initiatives, or funding for healthcare infrastructure.

It’s not that we shouldn’t honour the founding president’s memory; it is that we must do so in a way that reflects the values of justice, empathy, and responsibility.

We should remember Sam Nujoma, not just through expensive ceremonies, but by continuing the work of improving the lives of those he sought to serve.

In a developing nation like ours it is crucial that we exercise fiscal responsibility. As we reflect on Nujoma’s life and leadership, let us ask ourselves if this extravagant expenditure is truly the best way to honour his memory.

Would he have wanted us to sacrifice so much for a spectacle, or would he have preferred that the funds be used to help those still grappling with the hardships he sought to alleviate?

It is time for us to have an open and honest conversation about the way we allocate resources, especially in the face of such significant inequalities.

It is a conversation that must go beyond ceremonial gestures and focus on sustainable, impactful action for the future of our country.

It is time for us to reflect on our priorities as a nation and ask ourselves: Are we truly honouring our leaders by spending lavishly on their funerals while their people continue to live in hardship?

The real tribute to Nujoma’s legacy would be a commitment to addressing the needs of the most vulnerable among us.
Ernst !Noariseb