Of hypocritical and populist ministers

Because of widespread ignorance and a lack of critical consciousness, politicians in Namibia are able to get away with a lot.

Think of what happens during an election.

Politicians jump on top of one another, screaming so loud they hurt their lungs, to convince voters why they are the best and should govern us for a five-year term.

Some even sketch a picture of a bleak future should voters choose their competitors. They have ideas and a plan, they say.

There is nothing wrong with this. Such is what characterises, and should characterise, the exercise of a democratic contestation of ideas.

But this is the problem; what happens after the votes are secured and the screaming politician has now assumed office?

As soon as they settle, they start changing the script.

"I have an idea and a plan" is amended to "I have an open-door policy; feel free to bring your ideas and plans."

What, then, is to be said about the "idea and plan" for which the office has been won?

In other sectors, other than politics, this would’ve qualified as fraud and misrepresentation.

If you do not understand, in our politics, it is possible for a scoundrel of a politician to be elected on the back of undisclosed ideas and plans, but in actual fact, the politician doesn’t have a single idea or plan.

He then waits to be elected to declare his "open-door policy" where unsuspecting citizens will run to this "open-door" politician to present their ideas that will become those of the brainless politician that benefitted from our flawed electoral system.

That they are being cheated by the "open-door" politicians does not occur to the charlatan minds that characterise our politics.

Our society doesn’t demand excellence, particularly in politics.

Political scientist André du Pisani shared his frustrations about this character more than three years ago, on 21 September 2018.

He stated, writing for The Namibian: "Namibia is one of the most undemanding societies in the world. Citizens demand far too little from the government and the private sector. The mediocre has, in many respects, become the new 'brilliance'. With few exceptions, the civil service and the private sector have no service standards of their own, and if they have, these are not followed. Subjected for many years to the second-rate in education, literature, music, broadcasting and conversation, all that make cultural fluency possible, minds are generally not curious and Namibians of all races and classes are struggling to define their position in the world."

The problem goes further than what Professor du Pisani sketches. What this column bemoans today relates to the consequences of this state of affairs, particularly on the minds of the politicians.

In consolidated democracies, citizens take to the streets, newspapers, radio, and other platforms to complain about what is wrong in society.

Astute politicians would then observe these citizen activities as important barometers in policy and law-making. In Namibia, politicians, including those in Cabinet, descend into the arena and assume the roles and places of citizens.

It has been normalised in our country for Cabinet ministers to grab microphones and complain about this and that matter.

Records would indicate that the same politicians have not raised these very matters in Cabinet or parliament.

The gullible crowds being spoken to are often not alive to this trickery, and what, frankly, should be deplorable and despicable conduct underpinned by hypocrisy and populism.

The crowd would conclude that "the honourable minister also complained about the matter." This complaining "honourable" would then be baptised as "on the ground" and "speaks the language of the masses".

To sober minds and astute political observers, this is comical.

The question that must be asked, by those who understand politics, is if the minister is also complaining about the matter, then why is the matter not being addressed, knowing that this very minister occupies a seat at the highest table in the land?

We do not expect this to be understood by stooges of politicians who invite ministers to come address "the masses" by complaining about issues in order to be seen as "speaking the language of the masses".

We all recall the former governor of Otjozondjupa, Otto Iipinge, who went to the streets to demonstrate in a region he governs.

We have all seen President Hage Geingob complaining about the red line, which his government still maintains.

If the president also agrees that the red line must go, why is it still there? Such mediocrity can only be explained by hypocrisy and populism!

Muthoni waKongola is a native of Kongola in the Zambezi Region primarily concerned with analysing society and offering ideas for a better Namibia. She is reachable at [email protected] or @wakongola on Twitter.