Thread: What issues do you feel are holding our country back from its true potential?

Namibia is a vast, beautiful country that faces many challenges and problems. What, in your mind, are some of these challenges and problems? What is holding us back from becoming a truly great country?

I feel our leaders are holding us back.....in 1985.....

Let me give one idea of taking us forward....get new, young and knowledgeable ministers...(and here comes the challenge).......that have NO 'liberation credentials' and rather high academic qualifications in line with the cabinet post...

....those that have been there for the last 18 years have not done much....let's be honest....

Another vote for Namibia's High Level Apprentice to get kick started!!

If we go into broader terms we might end up with a whole list to which I will just check, agree, check, agree.....but I would like to single out narrow minds to the list as the formost reason.

Let's see if we can agree on three top issues/problems that are holding us back. Here are mine:

* Lack of accountability and professionalism: People in both the public and private sector simply get away with not doing their jobs. There are so many instances and examples where someone or somebody should or should have stepped in to sanction decisions and behaviours, as well as scrutinised plans and intentions. So many times this does not happen. And so everyone buys into this and gets away with proverbial murder.

* Lack of a caring culture: And if you get away with not doing your job, noone cares either. Namibians just don't care enough about the small things and speak up about them, and hold each other accountable for shoddy work, decisions and planning. Let's be honest: We simply don't care enough and take pride in our work, our nation, our community, our Constitution. We simply don't care enough to be better, to develop ourselves, to get ahead. It's easy to cruise along because we don't expect more of ourselves, and so noone else will. Everyone expects us to underperform, to stay underdeveloped, to fultimately fail as individuals and as a nation. I am generalising, but I beleive this holds true - generally. This lack of a caring culture pervades everything: the health sector, the public sector, the work of our politicians, our police....whatever. Open your eyes and scratch a bit under the surface you can see it everywhere. Now of course there are proud and caring people doing good, quality work but they are not in the majority, I contend.

* Nepotism and corruption: There is a sense of entitlement on the part of many Namibians, young and old - something along the lines of "I am entitled to a BMW or a big house or bling bling. Others have gotten it dishonourably and through ill means, so why should I stand back and let them get it? I am owed this too and I should not have to work for it honestly either.". As Namibians we simply lack a fundamental moral compass that allows us to collectively reject nepotism and corruption where and when it is practised.

Indigestion!

i can see Comrade from your postings that you are a wise man.

i keep getting the sense from media that checks and balances are in place
to run the government smoothly , rooting out corruption and the incompetent.
i just do not see it happening

i'll be honest though , if my employer was paying terrible wages i'm not so sure i'd be very quick helping you pay your electrical bill or nurse you back to health in a hospital.

i suppose an experiment should be done .. pay people what they say they deserve and let's see if they do better at their jobs.

if i ran government the high paid people would be

teachers
police
health care workers

in Canada that is the way it is

in Namibia it seems the opposite

If you don't like here, go log a tree in Canada!!!

Just an observation: I have to be blind not to notice that "a_canadian" has just undergone a metamorphosis. I hope in all senses of the word. He/she is now "omer". I trust that we have some "Omerian" tales and not only how the Canadians are so much better!