Can the Namibian electorate expect political gimmicks?

This is the year for elections in many countries in the Sub-Saharan region. Many in the region are yet to go to the polls to elect their political parties of choice as well as their leaders. Namibia is not an exception. Recently, South Africans held their elections and the electorate exercised their democratic votes.It seems that the winds of change are sweeping across the region. What one can learn from the election results from South Africa and other countries that recently participated in polls is that it is evident that the masses have expressed their democratic rights.The election results in South Africa do not augur well for the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC was and still is the movement that spearheaded the armed liberalisation struggle in South Africa, which resulted in the party winning the first democratic elections overwhelmingly.For 30 years, the ANC was the ruling party. As the ruling party, the ANC shaped and implemented policies it wanted and made laws unilaterally because of the majority in the decision-making structures in the country.Today, the picture is different. The ANC has lost its majority, with many asking themselves, what went wrong? South Africans have been crying about corruption, poor service delivery, load shedding and high youth unemployment, just to name a few issues.Following the elections, the ANC now has to negotiate a coalition government. What is not clear at this juncture is who the ANC is going to go to bed with. Will it be the EFF, the MK or the DA? All these parties are strong contenders for a coalition with the ANC. This serves as a good lesson for countries going into elections in the upcoming months to learn from.Namibia’s challenges worry votersNamibia is poised to hold elections in November 2024. Political parties have already begun their campaigns in earnest, seeking votes to bring them into power. The electorate is geared to vote for their political party of choice, their leaders and their president.One wonders who will emerge victorious in the upcoming elections. It is true that Namibia cannot be compared to South Africa because the political dynamics of the two countries are not the same. However, countries with upcoming elections can learn valuable lessons from the South African election results.I am going to vote. My vote is my secret. I had the liberty to find out from some of the electorates what they see differently from previous election campaigns.This is what some of them said: What I expect from political parties is to sell their programmes rather than labelling one another. So far, political parties in Namibia are still selling programmes that they did 34 years ago. So far, there is no uniqueness in all political party campaign programmes, and no clear plans are presented on how the social ills the country is facing will be addressed.Another person said none of the political parties are telling the electorate how they will be held accountable if they come to power and fail to meet their promises. Someone else said: I want to see an action plan with clear deliverables from political parties.It seems clear that some voters have high expectations from political parties come 2025.Namibia has a very high youth population, according to the recently released census results by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). According to the NSA, the youth population constitutes 71.1% of persons younger than 35 years of age. The unemployment rate among youth is estimated to be around 38.4%.These are very interesting dynamics to consider seriously while campaigning to win votes.Some people I spoke to regarding the challenges this country faces claim that hospitals in Namibia are falling apart and the education system leaves much to be desired, not to mention problems with the health system and the perceived corruption in the country.Reading from sources from our neighbours in South Africa and having followed the politics of South Africa during the past couple of months, one can easily conclude that Namibia faces similar challenges.The question to be answered is: how and who is going to address these challenges come 2025? I am not a prophet, but I will leave this question for you to answer.I agree that since independence 34 years ago, notable changes have been observed in this country regarding the reform of the education and training systems. One should really applaud and congratulate the ruling party for what has been achieved during the past 34 years in many areas of development. This is not something to be discarded or ignored.Looking at the election campaigns here at home, there are claims that none of the political parties have yet convinced the electorate how the challenges in the country are going to be addressed.It is said that all political parties are making the same empty promises. What I gathered from some of the electorates I spoke to was that corruption was high on the agenda, whether perceived or real. People want to know how corruption is going to be addressed. How is unemployment going to be addressed? How is the health system going to be improved? They want to see tangible plans. It is good and well to say we are going to do this and that. The big question remaining is: how? That is what the youth want to hear – no political gimmicks.Speak to the youthThe youth, who are made up of the majority of this country’s citizens, are divided when it comes to the upcoming November 2024 elections.Some are saying I am not going to vote because of empty promises. There are those who are saying I am going to vote to bring about change, while many claim not knowing which political party to vote for because all are just the same.This tells you that the youth in this country are at a crossroads and it is up to political parties to sell their programmes to this sector of the population if they are to remain relevant.It is now a clarion call to all political parties to change their manifestos as well as campaign strategies to win the votes of the youth. The youth are the majority in this country and should be considered future leaders of this country, whether we like it or not.Also, it is equally important for the youth to participate in the political affairs of this country if they want to see change. It is therefore critical that the youth understand the political landscape and dynamics of Namibia. By not exercising one’s constitutional right to vote, you are doing an injustice to yourself. Come 2025, all Namibians are looking forward to a better country.* Dr Raimo Ndapewa Naanda is a retired TVET expert.

Can the Namibian electorate expect political gimmicks?

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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Can the Namibian electorate expect political gimmicks?

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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