Making A Better World - Milton Louw

North-East of Swakopmund, and somewhere where the line that runs the copper ore down from Otari has a station called Omaruru, there stands a mass of huge table-topped mountains. At the time of which I write they were known as the Erongos, so named after a famous chief of the Gainin Bushmen, who had made something of a stand there against the invading Damaras that eventually "ate up" both him and his tribe. Even in that land, where most mountains are table-topped, and where the flat plateau above and the plain beneath represent geological epochs that are divided by aeons of years, these Erongo Mountains are remarkable; for they have never been climbed. From their base thick vegetation can be seen crowning the inaccessible summit, and in several places water flows in gushing cataracts down the steep cliffs that frown upon the plain on every side. This mountain had always had a great fascination for me; and once or twice, in the old days, before the railway came, and when ...

Last week we celebrated Constitution Day - 9th Februray. I thought about this great document we have in Namibia, but have to keep asking myself, "Great that we have Namibian Rights. What about Namibian responsibilities?" Since Independence, Namibians have been guaranteed their rights through our Constitution. These rights are are known by all, but how many of us realise the burden of responsibilities these same rights put on us? In this opinion piece I look at the rights in our constitution, and compare them to the responsibility expected of each of us to ensure these rights for us all. And what is it to be a good citizen? You must always remember that the other person has rights while being aware of your own Think and do as you want, but know that your rights end where another’s begin Create things which are useful to yourself and others “It is to produce wealth by labour and only by labour, and to spend less than you have produced that your childre...

O pen and critical debate is not always welcome in our country.  In the days of apartheid-colonialism, expressing views openly (especially political ones) often led to persecution, even detention and death. With independence, such repressive practices came to an end as a liberal constitution was adopted that enshrined basic human and political rights.  However, a living democracy requires more than a few democratic rights on paper and the occasional holding of elections.  A living democracy requires the appreciation for robust debates as well as policies to guarantee that the basic economic needs of all citizens are met. Despite the many praises for Namibia’s peace and stability since independence, I would argue that we are still falling short in some aspects of our democracy.  Namibia is among countries with the highest levels of income inequality in the world and virtually all spheres of life are still characterised by inequalities on the basis of colour, gen...

Politicsweb - How to write about race - Top stories An eight step guide to commenting on South Africa's favourite obsession Introduction South Africans love race. One might even say we are obsessed with it. We cannot get enough. You cannot open a newspaper, read a blog, listen to radio discussion or watch a current affairs show that doesn't have yet another someone or other telling us what an enormous problem race is, how under appreciated the scale of the crisis is and how desperately we need to move past it. Anyone who doesn't want to talk about race or considers themselves non-racial is accused either of effectively being racist themselves or living in some kind of dangerous denial. And it is everywhere. I mean everywhere. There is not a thing that is not interpreted through a racial lens or, indeed, argued itself not the product of some kind of racial malfunction.

Good afternoon Mr Louw It seems that a new political stance has emerged were tribal sentiments and ethnicity is now at play in local politics. Tribal outburst allegedly made during the interview by Youth Minister Kazenambo against Oshiwambo speaking people and the subsequent reactions toward the comments paint a picture of a society deeply rooted tribalism in our society. I would like to assist me answer some of pertinent questions regarding tribalism and tribal loyalties in Namibia especially in the wake of the upcoming Swapo Party congress and impact it might have on the country.  1.      Do you think the problem of tribalism has seeped into the ruling party Swapo Party and how bad do you think that is? Tribalism and associated decision making because of ethnic relationships had been a product of the Apartheid South African ruling system. This we have to accept. However, we as a nation have committed ourselves to another standard, whereby through reconciliat...

My rambling thoughst about race, tribalism and the recent tribal based comments by KK and others Namibia and Integration Most of the Namibian peoples have come to this area leaving behind war or oppression of some sort or the other. They chose this inhospitable place to settle and live peacefully, not only with one another, but also with the natural environment they found themselves in. During periods of oppression they have not had a choice but to react to ensure their continued peace and stability. After Independence, it was only natural that Namibians should choose to have one of the best constitutions in the world that ensures this peace and continued peaceful co-existence with one another. The policy of reconciliation was as natural for its people as breathing and eating. Today, Namibia is a model that few other countries can emulate. Worldwide, countries struggle with problems of integration. These differences take the form of religion, language, customs or ra...

I often consider myself a socio-political entrepreneur. To me this means that while I chase a business objective, i also need align certain political / legal frameworks to enable me to reach my longer term goals. Perhaps they just express it a little to harshly for my ego. Architects of the Future: The Socio-Political Entrepreneurship Style of 5GW PurpleSlog. "Architects of the Future: The Socio-Political Entrepreneurship Style of 5GW." PurpleSlog . August 27, 2007. http://purpleslog.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/architects-of-the-future-the-socio-political-entrepanuership-style-of-5gw/ (accessed January 14, 2011). In the second blog post of a series of blog posts exploring potential archetypes, or styles, of 5GW, PurpleSlog suggests a “Socio-Political Entrepreneurship” style of 5GW. Unlike the first archetype explored in the series (“The Puppet Master”), the Socio-Political Entrepreneurs will operate in the open to effect large-scale changes but their exact motives and ultimate ...