Recently, on his village to village campaign, Dr. FB Itula has researched and found from the grassroots experience the need of a paradigm shift of administration functions.
In his experiential interpretation based on the real-life situation on the ground (sitz-im-liben), there is an urgency to change the power dynamics and decentralization of leadership from political leadership to traditional leadership, a view that I genuine deem it fit to my philosophy of village transformation and empowerment.
With no doubt, it is self-evident that Traditional Leaders (TL) are more closer to their people and in our contemporary times, their power appears to be stripped off.
The TL know best what is essential and inalienable basic fundamental needs and challenges that affects their people on day-to-day life-living situation.
I submit to us that, in my philosophical views, government takes long to respond to the needs affecting the people for example people of Okanguati in Kunene region or in Ngoma, Zambezi, Kwaaki in Kavango West or Tukuis-Hukuis in Omaheke region etc. due to slow administration and logistical arrangements hence the need for power decentralization and paradigm shift of administration to be spearheaded by the traditional authority that is really closer to the people and serve their people because they live in those villages since they are the custodians of those villages.
My further point of reflection based on paradigm shit of power and administration is that, traditional leaders, some may not be literate but that does not mean they don’t have wisdom to lead their people and bring about development. They have good influence since are chosen based on traditional traits, norms and values, antiquity and orthodoxy.
We equally understand the adage of an ancient wisdom that states that omunwe umwe ihau litoola ona nomutwe umwe ihauwanene adishe.
It is for that reason that, traditional leaders/ headman only need to be complemented by researchers in their administrative functions to bring about those needs affecting their communities. This is the power dynamics I’m talking about.
Mechanisms therefore to be placed are as follow.
- Each village should point out two project proposals to their Chiefs so long are proven to be viable and sustainable by expertise.
Preliminary discussions and dialogues can be discussed by villagers/councils of advisors, professionals and researchers who are from that specific village and then upon agree those needs then present them to their headmen/women. In case the village lacks a particular expert, the Chief in consultation with the Councillor assist provide an expert to that particular village for assistance.
In other words, invite, if need be, an experts for inputs to validate the validity of the project if it’s viable and sustainable so as to create sustainable employment creation.
By doing this to all villages across 121 constituency and 14 regions, I truly believe that Namibia won’t be the same in terms of defeating the escalation of unemployment rate, inequality, favoritism, hatred amongst tribes.
It is up to us citizens to continue the debate of enlightening each other on how we can change the power dynamics and truly to effect the change on the ground because the goal of our human existence is to strive for what St. Thomas Aquinas said the highest good which is happiness and virtue (summum bonum).
Jeronimo Nghilunanye Kateya is from Oupale waKateya village. He writes on his own capacity as a Namibian citizen.