Why political analysts must remain objective

Political analysts are required to be objective, logical and rational and not be swept up by moods or excitement. Over the past two weeks, we have been subjected to analyses not cemented in scientific reasoning but rather academic diatribes, which are not helpful in making informed decisions. A gap remains between political analysts and political commentators.Henning Melber, a Swapo member since 1974, deliberately failed to acknowledge the achievements of his party and that of our country since independence. Robust programmes and social safety nets have been adopted through an unprecedented expansion of the scale and scope of social grants. Melber’s reliance on non-existent polls is an unfortunate departure from a capacity that can attain the truth and use it rationally.The Harambee Prosperity Plan, which Melber is using as a yardstick, came whilst the president was in office, mainly as a way to breathe life into the implementation of the then Swapo manifesto.Swapo’s presidential candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah cannot be expected to come with a detailed plan before assuming office.Her plan will also breathe life into the implementation of the Swapo manifesto. The 'legacy continues' mantra means maintaining that which works and improving that which does not work.Reading into her profile, Netumbo’s intent is to prioritise integrity and accountability as avenues to ensure that all Namibians enjoy the dividends of consistent positive economic growth experienced over the last 34 years, apart from three instances when the country momentarily experienced short-lived negative economic growth.Inherited circumstances Rui Tyitende, also a political analyst, while acknowledging our society as being one of the most unequal, comparable to our neighbours to the south, neglected to diagnose the stubborn historical structural inequalities that underpin inequalities in both countries.He hesitates to admit that raising the one group that is lower will take time and resources and often faces stiff resistance from special-interest groups. Swapo never created an unequal society, nor is it the main architect thereof.The party inherited that society, unless Rui is referring to a country other than Namibia. Developing a nation is a marathon relay, while maintaining the urgency of a sprint relay and fending off threats of economic destabilisation from those keen to perpetuate and maintain existing structural inequalities.Namibia, under the Swapo-led government, has recorded a lot of positives, which stands in stark contrast from where we started in 1990, especially for those of us who never left home. The Swapo-led government has been hard at work at addressing the socio-economic situation of a large segment of our society – those left at the periphery of development by colonialism – while maintaining the other segment at the upper middle-income level of the economic development scale.This is demonstrated by the government's focus on expanding access to quality healthcare by prioritising primary healthcare, making it more accessible to the majority of the population without imposing financial hardships, rather than directing resources solely on building new hospitals, as recently suggested by an analyst in an irrational minestrone of policy second-guessing.Right to governAll things considered, it is apparent that Swapo has the better manifesto and ideas compared to other political establishments.And, as noted by Melber, Swapo has the operational structure to mobilise the human resources to affect change through those ideas.There is no party or individual who has so far squashed Swapo's ideas or manifesto. Rui himself admits that one of the opposition party’s manifestos is unrealistic and mere popularism. Melber admonishes that the opposition needs to earn the right to govern and, so far, has had slim to no returns on the trust the electorate has placed in them. I agree with what he omitted to say in that it is time to place that trust back squarely behind the tried and pragmatic route, that of the Swapo Party.Swapo might be a bit conservative with their promises because they have governed before and they know the layout of the environment and the limitations that they have to overcome.I am yet to hear a critic of the ideas of Vision 2030 or that it does not continue to reflect our collective aspirations. The content of Vision 2030 is a testament to the quality of ideas Swapo had (as opposed to bankruptcy), in that it remains relevant still, and nobody has advanced better ideas.We might have fallen short, but there is a sub-limitation we have overcome. Some of the approaches the party’s standard bearer proposes look to address some of the internal issues drawing back advancement towards Vision 2030, such as accountability and ensuring economic growth overcomes structural inequalities to become more inclusive.Not many countries in the world have opened new economic frontiers compared to Namibia, which is a testament to the environment the Swapo-led government has created. There are many positive offshoots in the tourism industry and agriculture and manufacturing sectors, which have created much-needed employment.Through progressive policies, the country has attracted consistent investment in the resource sector, leading to oil and gas discoveries and ensuring a resilient mining sector that has weathered many boom-and-bust cycles.We have many such organic growth successes in the country. The Swapo-led government enacted the much-needed regulation that allowed the pension fund money to be invested locally first and more specifically into unlisted assets, which ushered in a boom of job creation whilst addressing the housing backlog.That is not because the government is paying for building itself but because they created a conducive environment that is more sustainable than the government always paying for or building things themselves from their budget.To achieve more sustainability, a responsible government's primary duty ought to be the creation of an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and its citizens to find ready avenues for self-actualisation. The latter being a marked focus of the government going forward.Space for all In amplification, Netumbo intends to be pragmatic in pursuing the beneficiation process of natural resources, which according to her should serve the needs of Namibians.Her second pillar of integrity is to ensure effective and efficient service delivery. Through accountability, she will ensure all efforts are made for a rapid march towards Vision 2030 so it can never be regarded as an empty chorus, as some cynics would have us believe.Netumbo’s presidency would herald an era of meritocracy where she expects excellence from all of us and our institutions.She intends to run an inclusive state, alive to the fact that there is enough space for all of us without the need to elbow each other aside. Ideology is not a garment to be casually changed – it must weather the storms.I agree with Melber that Netumbo is conservative, which makes her the preferred candidate to preserve our values. Indeed, Melber’s description of Netumbo as a person with a ‘liberation mentality’ should serve her well in that she will liberate us economically. The opposite of liberation is an oppression mentality.The fact that the analysts are studying Netumbo and Swapo with a heightened drumbeat should tell us something, especially now that we are about to extract oil and gas for the benefit of the rightful owners, Namibia’s citizens.Both analysts are right when they say that authoritarian leadership in the opposition parties and factional infighting provide no hope of alternative policies or political culture opposed to the continuation of the Swapo Party rule.Yes, Rui, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is ready to govern and Swapo is the best option to move from the existence of policy and strategy to the implementation of our shared vision with fidelity.Patria o Muerte!*Joshua Razikua Kaumbi is a holder of BA Political Science and Sociology (Unam), LLB (Stellenbosch) and an admitted legal practitioner. His opinions are expressed in his capacity as a Namibian by birth.#NamibiaDecides2024

Why political analysts must remain objective

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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Why political analysts must remain objective

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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