Kae Matundu Tjiparuro
OIL business usual or unusual? This question must occur naturally to Yours Truly Ideologically as indeed to any Namibian. Adding their voices to many and varied ones on the vexed subject of the discovery of oil. A subject that of lately has been invoking and receiving various perspectives from across a spectrum of diverse fields of competence, interests and studies. All zeroing in one way or the other on the discovery of oil in Namibia. Perspectives all intended to register authority in shaping the expected and much-anticipated nascent Namibian oil industry as it would be.
The postulation “oil, usual and/or unusual” is a correct one and opportune pursuant to the mantra of the 8th administration of Namibia of “business unusual”. A mantra that can be understood and interpreted to mean ‘public affairs’ is ‘shall forthwith’; that is, since the advent of the current administration, there’s no more play but serious business. However one may define ‘serious’. That is and shall be a notable and visible break from the “usual business” of the past, as far as public affairs are concerned.
A meaningful break from engaging in public affairs and from transacting them in the ordinary mundane, if not indifferent and nonchalant, manner as was the case in the past.
A break geared towards not only eradicating bottlenecks resulting from tardiness, laziness, indifference, inefficiency and ineffectiveness but also a total lack of care. But above all, inefficiency and ineffectiveness as a result of wrong policies and/or a complete lack thereof and political will.
Attendant to the opening and leading question is whether the business unusual mantra of the head of the 8th administration, the President of the Republic of Namibia, and, corollary, also of the President of the Swapo Party of Namibia. Ultimately also, by design and default, the mantra of the Swapo Party and its apparatchiks in the civil service is sham loyalty to the supreme leader. But is this mantra in reality, as it should be, supported and/or to be supported by relevant policies?
If the Swapo Party political programme, now said to have been included in the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), is to find true consummation. Instead of just being a mere mantra, NDP6 is just another NDP. Are there any policies in whatever sector to convince one that indeed it is and will be business unusual in the various sectors during the tenure of the 8th administration?
As of now for Yours Truly Ideologically such policies are still born. I challenge anyone to show cause to the contrary in this regard. The existence of any such policy and/or policies in any socio-economic sector and the objective thereof, which is the radical transformation. Let alone any that are being hatched. If not to immediately radically transform the socio-economic structure of the country, cognisant of the unbearable socio-economic conditions in which many, if not all, of the country’s masses find themselves, in the least, launching the country on the business unusual journey.
While the mantra that is espoused at almost every occasion is at the disposal of the President and mimicked by her women and men, the President’s women and men. As the saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines.” With regard to oil discovery, noticeable is the scrambling that has already started here and there. Intermittent conferencing. The latest among those positioning, if not repositioning themselves, for a niche as it may be is the “Legal 500 General Counsel (GC) Powerlist: Namibia 2026″. That seems to be rallying the legal sector to anticipate and navigate the legal complexities antecedent and attendant to the development of the envisaged Namibian oil industry. Surely something is commendable so that from a legal perspective, one can anticipate and avoid any legal pitfalls and trappings to be presented, as well as deal with the ones already existent in the cut-throat global oil sector.
“General Counsel are increasingly required to navigate licensing requirements, local content obligations and joint and cross-border risks, while ensuring governance frameworks that are robust enough to withstand long project life cycles, price volatility and evolving regulatory expectations,” lawyer Patrick Kauta was quoted by the media most recently. A noble endeavour indeed. But how many who are and have been positioning and/or repositioning themselves as such could be said to be nobler than thou? But a more pertinent question is how have the workers and/or masses been positioning and repositioning themselves in this regard? Hearing little about the stakes of these classes in the expected oil boom. Except for the usual suspects, those already close to the current capitalist system. It is anyone’s guess as to whose lot the masses are left to. Except as to the inherent mechanisms of a capitalist system. Perpetually exploiting and subjugating and subjecting the workers and the masses to endless and limitless poverty. Amidst opulence and abundance.
One would have expected politicians, their truly true to their mission, as they have been pretending, of being there for the people, to this time around show their mettle in this regard. To ensure that the oil shall be oiling the most deserving in Namibia, the workers and the masses, out of their state of economic disenfranchisement.
But at best the masses and the workers at this stage seem to be third best, if best at all, in terms of their positioning and repositioning for the expected oil boom. Relegated to the craze of the era of beneficiation. One would have thought this is the time that the Namibian administration starts on a new and clean slate. As far as making sure, having learnt from the experience of finding capitalism intact and further entrenched, proving its mantra of business unusual. Which, by extension, means investors cannot come to Namibia, let alone invest in the discovery of oil, and think it would be business as usual. But this time around it properly prepares the groundwork. So that the masses and workers, for once this time around, are not just mere beneficiaries. Which, in this age and era of capitalism, is nothing but an euphemism for their continued exploitation. That this is the beginning of the end of the era of purely relying on dividends. It is a contradiction in terms that owners of the resources are reduced to mere dividend recipients. Ironically, this seems to be the disposition of none other than the Swapo Party and its leaders, with the rank and file swept along in blind loyalty.
