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Sinking, drowning in a sea of mediocrity

2019-02-22  Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro

Sinking, drowning in a sea of mediocrity

Often in the past one would hear the elderly saying katjituayenda, which can be literally translated to mean times have changed. 

Whether this is for better or worse is anyone’s guess but that indeed times have changed is not debatable.
After all, the only permanent thing is change. 

In view of this, one could not but take to heart the lamentations of two people. One, the Minister of Basic Education, Arts and Culture, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, at the funeral of late #Aonin Chief, Seth Kooitjie. The other in a clip doing rounds on social media from an inhabitant of the great Kunene Region. 

As much as the two lamentations comes from perceivably and presumably two different people and are about different matters and/or events, on close scrutiny and sober reflection, they are by people who are somehow associated, and likewise the two events. 

Hanse-Himarwa was and has clearly and visibly been disturbed by leaders of her communities, the Nama and Ovaherero, who have been falling over one another at every available opportunity not to do the best for their communities but to further tore asunder these communities and engulf such communities in never-ending internecine squabbles. 

As the minister put it, “boring”, that is the way in which some traditional leaders have been conducting and expressing themselves. But “boring” the minister must have kept to the decorum that comes with her office. 

But mediocre may not be an outlandish a description to describe the despicable specters that has been displayed by some traditional leaders in the name of their communities.  As a result of such mediocrity without anything lost in translation during their verbiage tirades, communities have been led on warpaths of destruction and self-destruction. Not only this in their mental proclivities seem to have suffered irreparable and irreversible constipation setting in a paralysis of the developmental visions, and corollary upliftment and poverty alleviation projects. Thus how can one profoundly not share Hanse-Himarwa’s genuine lamentations and concerns?  

In almost the same vein, the inhabitant of the great Kunene Region in a social media clip is lamenting the absence today of good old brave men among the Ovaherero community. And one can but as much add what may have happened to the “good old wise” ones as well. 

He could not understand that 40 men had to be mobilised to go after a lone lion in the Okakarara Constituency recently. In his own experience lion hunting in his native Kunene is something that only two men have been dealing with. Lest a crowd would wreak confusion, run into one another or even fatally shoot one another instead of the lion. Tales have it that indeed most ran away when eventually the lion confronted them, leaving behind two or three brave ones. Yet, one gathers these “brave men” are to be decorated, for what? What else can better attest to mediocrity of decoration than this? 

Back to original culture, to the last bastion of Otjiherero and Otjimbanderu culture, the great Kunene Region. And perhaps start either exporting some human heifers there for stud breeding or import human stud bulls north of the red line.
But the essence and moral of the story ala Hanse-Himarwa, and the Kunene brethren is that the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama communities, the subjects of their expressed concerns, through own doings and own devices are quickly becoming endangered species. 

This state of affairs has become manifest in many things the two communities dare touch. 
The ongoing campaign for reparations comes to mind. But clearly because of lack of distinguished leaders among these communities, unscrupulous elements seem to be running away with this just cause. 

That in itself has been relegated to mediocrity but the very ones pretending to be the torchbearers thereof.  It is not clear at this hour when the campaign for reparations certainly needs fresh and radical infusion, who and which leaders among these communities can reclaim this campaign with credibility. 

This is especially given the shenanigans among the said communities’ leaderships for whom and among whom this noble cause seems to have become yet another battle field between themselves. 

The grapevine has it that matters are coming to conclusion on genocide and reparations. While the exact agenda of such rumoured closure remains to this day, a mystery. Can this really be long-lasting solution? Without any hesitation or doubt no. Not until every one of the affected communities whatever size, hue, colour or creed legitimately fully become part of the process and unhindered define its finer points. Not until those who seem to have abrogated the cause to themselves subjecting it to their parochial interest, see daylight, desist from their delusions and illusions and go back to the drawing board so that all and sundry are on board. 
 


2019-02-22  Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro

Tags: Khomas
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