Having children is not easy

Somedays I feel lika a character on an American sitcom, something like the father on Fresh Prince or the Huckstables. Completely past my sell-by-date! Don't get me wrong, I love my children and wish I coud do more for them. The problem is that often I cannot do more.

More than ever I appreciate now the institution of marriage. At least you have an ally and someone with whom you can discuss the problems and way to tackle them. It is also unfortunate we do not have support groupd for divorced fathers?

Finished my book!

Almost end of April 2009 and just finished my book, "Namibia's Future -Smile my beloved Land". Not sure if anybody will read it, but you never know;-). You can get a copy at by clicking the link.

The next few lines were scribbled as I was printing a hardcopy:

A swan song

To much too drink
Too much too think
Thank you all
But back to the mall;

This had to be done
I wish it could be someone
Who cares a little bit more
Someone who does not feel so sore;

But this is my swan song:
For better or worse,
Thank you one and all,
My curse is not suffered alone.

Me and bad debts

In 2004 I returned from Germany and started up my company, NamBizDotCom, which is registered as a Close Corporation. I was working on two contracts at the time involving SME’s. The first was in cooperation with SMEs Compete and included a trip to South Africa and Angola to look for possible partners in these countries. The second contract, was for the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and was to complete the SME Impact Assessment Survey for 2004.

Unfortunately, my father was declared disabled and unable to continue working. He was 54 and no longer able to generate an income. This started a financial calamity that still haunts me till today.

Firstly, the bank, FNB, passed on the insurance claim to Metropolitan Insurance who did not want to accept his disability and therefore allow for his insurance to cover the cost of the home loan. The buck was passed between the two institutions and this delay meant my father was in arrears on his home loan. The bank therefore duly put his house up for auction to recoup their loss, and advertised this in the local newspaper.

As is my duty, I immediately went to my Father’s aid. After all, my two little brothers (aged 8 and 2 years old) would not have a roof over their heads if the bank and insurance giants were left unchallenged. Suffice to say, after a year of travelling between Rehoboth where my Father’s house was, and the bank head office in Windhoek, we were successful in getting the bank to settle his home loan through the insurance claim. (I must add tribute to the late Lazarus Ipangelwa, then MD of First National Bank, who allowed us a chance to put our case to the right person at the bank.)

In the meantime, my own business had closed and I was responsible for the debts to the amounts of +/- N$ 8,000 to Trip Travel, and +/- 20,000 to Institute for Public Policy Research. This second debt had incurred legal and other sundry charges and was submitted to the courts as an amount of over N$ 25,000 – which is the threshold for admittance to the High Court rather than the Magistrate’s Court.

So, I returned to Windhoek in January 2006 to face the two debtors, the one in the Magistrate’s Court and the other in the High Court. I take full responsibility for these debts and have attempted to pay the debts back through monthly payments of N$ 200 and N$ 500 respectively. Unfortunately, these debts are also listed on my credit record, which is accessed by most employers today and I found it difficult to find gainful employment after my return to Windhoek. Since then, I have spent three years as an hourly-paid lecturer and working part-time in an NGO.

Let me state for the record, “If I could, I would pay the debt of immediately!” However, I have not been paid a salary since April 2008 and have survived by consultancy work. Perhaps with my next job I will be able to settle these debts once and for all.

I do not wish to regale you with the arsenal available to the lawyers, or on the lack of information forthcoming from their offices of how far your repayment is coming. Needless to say, I will welcome a law that helps a debtor in relationship to these educated and learned professionals.

On this matter, I wish to suggest a Consumer Ombudsman for citizens who have dealings with lawyers. On more than one occasion I have found an invoice for services from a law firm that has no basis in reality. It is impossible to fight with a lawyer about any of their charges, after all they are better armed with the letter of the law.

BTW - all details about the debt and the creditors and lawyers are public knowledge and printed in various local newspapers.

Chinese a good thing for Namibia

Many Namibians have expressed alarm at the number of Chinese workers and business people entering Namibia. The most often heard complaint is that the Chinese are taking work away from Namibian workers because they are “willing to work for too little and much harder – even over weekends”.

Historically since the 1960’s, SWAPO has been a close ally of the Communist Party during the struggle for liberation. After Independence, these ties are still very good. Since 1990 China has provided more than N$ 1,2 billion in concessional and interest free loans. A further US$ 100 million credit line signed in 2007 has not yet been utilised.

Looking at the trade statistics, Namibia already imports 25% of its products (2006), and the rate is growing at 53% per year. (These numbers refer to countries other than SACU members.)

In my opinion the relationship with China is beneficial to our country. One of the most important things we can learn from the Chinese is the ability to work. I believe that rather than complain at the willingness of the Chinese worker, we should emulate their example.

As for the traders that have sprung up all over, this has been a good thing for our economy. It has increased the spending power of our consumers, provided jobs for our workers, and many of these entrepreneurs are marrying into our community. All of these have very beneficial long-term benefits. We must however guard against the creation of “china towns” that will lead to segregation rather than integration.

I would further propose we invite the Chinese Government to open a Confucius Institute in Namibia so we can learn more about their cultures, and also have the opportunity to learn the Chinese language. It is a good opportunity for Namibia to offer our country as gateway for Chinese investment in the continent, specifically into the Southern Africa Customs Union.

On being Coloured

I am a Coloured. I am a coloured because my parents raised me as such, and because of the environment around me. Most importantly, I can answer my young daughters, (who were not born during Apartheid), when they ask me, “Daddy what am I?”

I can laugh loudest and longest when I see a caricature of a coloured woman gossiping with her neighbour over the fence – it happens in my family even though now it is over the Cellphone, and sometimes in the doctor’s waiting room.

The next observation by people is obviously the one about the typical coloured. It is either the “LBS, lieg, brag en steel” (lie cheat and steal) or the drinking, smoking drugs, swearing and loafing around – and most commonly having babies at a young age. I even had a white young lady tell me that I should not wear baggy clothes the way “the coloureds do”. DUH! And let’s not forget the one thing that carries over from one generation to another – our love of going to nightclubs and just hanging (“nee daddy, ons hang net”).

These attributes are found across all cultures. The fact that as a group we are more tolerant, and probably make more fun of it ourselves does not mean that all coloureds are like this. These are activities which are often brought about by the political, social, economical and technological environment (PEST factors).

I believe the perceptions of a drinking and marijuana smoking culture has its origins in the origins of our own “nationhood”. Most of our forefathers were the offspring of (male) European settlers who settled in the cape and their Bantu slaves (female). These bastards were rejected by their mothers’ family and not recognised by their fathers.

It is a historical fact that many workers were paid with wine rather than money. Now consider being rejected by both sides of your family and paid in alcohol. What is your worth as a person? Are you worth 5 litres of wine?

This cycle is obviously degrading and leads to a very low self esteem. This leads in turn to low confidence levels in your worth and that of your family. This is the big challenge facing the Coloureds with which we still struggle today.

So, those who do drink, do drugs, swear and loaf around (in all cultures) are really broken people who have not realised their own true worth in life. So let’s leave the stereotyping out.

So if we are not that, what are we as a tribe?

Most of us (me included) has lost touch with what we are as a coloured tribe in Namibia, and the broader Southern Africa. Most importantly we must accept our history and be proud of what our forefathers have to done to get us to where we are today. It is time to stop using the terminology of we are “so-called coloureds”.

We are Namibian Coloureds proud to be working to a better future for our family, tribe and country!