On Facebook, a Namibian citizen journalist is reporting that the Ministry of Information has embarked on a nation-wide survey to Namibia’s thirteen political regions to get “people’s opinion on the branding of a new Nationhood and National Pride campaign, dubbed “My Namibia.” No big surprise there!
But if this is not a new low for the Namibian government, it definitely smells like an indoctrination campaign Last time I heard of a similar campaign was before Namibia’s independence when the colonial authority would take us away from classes for weeks to teach us how we can defend our country, a counterinsurgency tactics used by the South African Defence Force in Namibia to win the hearts and minds of Namibians (WHAM). Bellow are the citizen reporter’s comments.
“ How can the GRN even think of organising a Nationhood and National Pride campaign, while half of the country living on less then N$5 /day, maybe even less? How much will this cost the country? The fuel being used for the transport, accommodation, food, paperwork, S & Ts, the survey, pre-launch activities and the launch itself? Does GRN not have competent staff at regional levels to conduct those surveys? Why not use the National Planning Commission? What will be opinion as a Namibian who had been unemployed for the past 10 years if I am approached by a researcher for this campaign? What pride? The the pride of hunger and poverty?”