Namibia in Pictures – An album of the Land of the Brave

Snapshot – A MAN holding a cardboard sign reading “please help us with food” while his wife and 3 children sit behind him with all their belongings.

Snapshot – the six men I drive past every day on cold winter mornings looking for work, any work.

Snapshot – children joyful when the rubbish trucks offload at the dump, excited about finding food for the day and toys to play with.

Snapshot – patients lining up for hours to be helped at our state hospital while the ill lie on mattresses lining the hospital halls. And across the road, the headquarters of our ruling party gleams in the sunlight.

Well at least the country has been liberated, even if same-sex couples should not be allowed to enjoy the same freedoms as others.

This is the real Namibia, not the one in brochures at travel expos across the world.

This is simply untenable. The bright promises and exaggerated explanations made by our politicians don’t mean anything anymore.

We read them in the newspapers and sigh, or make an irritated comment to our fellow workers, and turn to the sports page instead.
Enough is enough.

This government is not a shining example to the rest of Africa, as is often said.

Yes, there is no war, our legislation is in place, our judiciary works, and we have freedom of expression.

All these things do not feed the man holding the cardboard sign. He just wants to care for his family and live with a modicum of dignity.

OUR CHALLENGE

I don’t excuse the part the rest of the population plays in this unacceptable reality.

Everyone who can should help where they can. A loaf of bread adds N$13 to my grocery bill. It means food for a day for a family.

A pack of sanitary pads costs N$10. It means a girl somewhere in Namibia does not have to stay home for four days each month.

Our president promises prosperity in years to come through extractive industries. Given the rampant corruption of sums that even the top 10% of earners cannot fathom, can we be blamed for greeting this promise with disbelief.

I don’t have the answers. And it seems neither does our government.

So, let’s challenge the government and challenge ourselves.

Let’s choose the leaders we believe will drive positive change.

Educate yourself. Teach your children empathy. And help where you can.

Our Land of the Brave has become the Land of the Desperate.

This is not a Namibia to be proud of. Enough is enough.

• Toni Hancox, director of the Legal Assistance Centre; this article is written in her personal capacity