Fight the Power Namibia

To begin, I would like summarize some shocking information from Chapter 7 New Elites: Old Inequalities “Economic data and statistics gathered since Independence confirmed that the luxury lifestyle enjoyed by a tiny (white) elite contrasted with the abject poverty of the (black) majority of the people…..According to the report, 10% of the households (amounting to 5.3% of the population) accounted for 44% of private household consumption.” 5% of the population owning almost half of private housing screams to the disparity in ownership, the power of the white minority in Namibia, and the exclusion of more than 90% of the population from the economic opportunities that exist when you own property.

One of the most highlighted discrepancies throughout the book was the inexperience of what makes a democracy legitimate. In prompt 1 I addressed how Namibian’s short-term focus was on getting independence first and with that short term thinking they lost opportunities to leverage power. They believed that their source of power would be redistributed naturally. We know that the people are the most important asset in a democracy, but that is only if they are utilizing that power for the benefit of said democracy. The people are only as powerful as they are knowledgeable. Turning land into a commodity benefited the private (settler) or public (state) ownership basically reducing public interest. Apart of the transition from being under colonial rule to now being a democracy was the rights to that land.The current land distribution does not reflect reconciliation after prolonged injustice.

The Lancaster House Agreement of Zimbabwe was adopted in Namibia under the good faith of cooperating to end colonization, but the agreement granted minority right for the settlers for the first 10 years of Independence. This served the purpose of maintaining the status quo which was not at all in the interest of black/native Namibian’s. So, for 10 years what Namibia had was an inclusion of the rights of white settlers and promises that the rights of blacks will be incorporated over time. Which brings us to contemporary Namibia and what I witnessed when I visited Katutura.

Katutura is the home of most of the population of the capital city of Windhoek and after spending a day driving through the streets and seeing the homes there it made me reflect on how the decisions that were made around land and property rights have resulted in mass homelessness in Namibia. Over 100,000 people are living in corrugated iron huts most with no running water inside or electricity. Resettlement programs have failed to empower the poor and landless of Namibia. The exclusion of the black population in the original land redistribution not only kept the power in the hands of the white minority it ultimately forced black Namibian’s to build their own communities despite government support.There are also conflicting claims by different regional/ethic groups. The facts are that black Namibians should have more land. Conquered people reclaiming their land is also an issue of dignity self-respect. There is much pride and self-love in black Namibia’s everyday business dealings and social interactions. Among each other, through individual conversations, you hear however how discouraged people are from not having land. There is also a plans of reclaiming Namibia and hope of just future for generations to come