‘We are not decolonised’

TUYEIMO HAIDULA ONGWEDIVAComments about the United Nations’ (UN) role in the “decolonisation of Namibia”, made by President Hage Geingob over the weekend, have ignited a heated debate on whether Namibia is in fact “decolonised”.In a statement released on Saturday, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the UN, Geingob praised the world body for its role in the “decolonisation of Namibia, world peace, development and human security”.“Namibia is a child of international solidarity, midwifed by the UN. In that vein, as a country, we recognise the pivotal role this distinguished organisation played in our decolonisation and transition towards independence in 1990.“Today, the UN, through its specialised agencies, continues to be a reliable partner in our developmental journey,” Geingob said.Not truePolitical commentator Dr Ndumba Kamwanyah took to social media over the weekend, saying: “It's not true to claim that Namibia was decolonised. Perhaps, accurately, we can say ‘politically liberated’ or ‘freed’, but not decolonisation.“Decolonisation is much deeper and it hasn't happened yet. Not in Namibia nor in Africa in general.”Meanwhile, Landless People’s Movement parliamentarian Henny Seibeb reacted yesterday by saying it should be understood that Namibia is miles away from decolonisation, as the commanding heights of the economy are still owned by the “South African Stellenbosch mafia milking us dry with black bourgeoisie such as Hage Geingob himself”.‘Socialism with Namibian characteristics’Seibeb said the new entrants are now the Chinese establishment, perfecting the art of neo-colonialism to the extent that ruling Swapo plagiarise the Chinese ideology of "socialism with Namibian characteristics". “Swapo has no ideology; it can't articulate economic growth path policies and has sold out completely to Chinese capital. It's a sad story. In terms of knowledge, we have research and included the indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). We rely mostly on Western education and reject IKS,” he said.Decolonisation processAffirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda said Namibia is not decolonised, but has gone through the decolonisation process.He added that decoloniality is a principle used by radical scholars in studying colonialism and coloniality.“Decolonisation does not equate to being decolonised. Namibia is absolutely not decolonised because power still remains in the hands of those who have it. “Coloniality manifests in three forms: Coloniality of power, coloniality of being and coloniality of knowledge,” he said.Amupanda added that Namibians can only ever be truly decolonised once they have knowledge and confidence in themselves and in black people in general, and can be their own liberators. UN festivitiesThe UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the UN Charter, agreed four months earlier, came into force.Starting out with 51 original members, there are now 193, with South Sudan the latest to join in 2011.“On this special occasion of the 75th anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter, I commend the UN for its efforts towards a better humanity, free from war and hunger. As we face transnational threats, including Covid-19, Namibia will continue to champion for a stronger multilateral system as the solution to our shared challenges,” Geingob said.For peace and securityThe UN Charter came into force with the main objective of maintaining peace and security, developing relations among nations and fostering cooperation between nations in order to solve social, economic, cultural and international humanitarian problems.The UN has spent decades helping millions of people to escape the yoke of poverty, gain access to education and health, have their fundamental rights respected, and enjoy better livelihoods, the organisation said in a statement."It also helped the world avoid a third world conflict - the main reason it was created - and remain relatively peaceful."Education battleDecolonialisation, especially regarding education, became the rallying call of protests linked to the #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall campaigns in South Africa.Their rallying call was that South Africa’s educational system is still rooted in the colonial and apartheid eras, and their injustices persist in its structure and financial set-up.Students at British universities are also increasingly calling for their reading lists to include more black and minority ethnic writers.While detractors see this as a witch-hunt against traditional white male voices, the decolonialisation of education raises legitimate concerns about addressing how the forces of racism and colonialism have shaped the past and present, and how they are continuing to be the mainstay of education curricula.

‘We are not decolonised’

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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‘We are not decolonised’

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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