Lessons from Andimba

SALOM SHILONGO WRITES:There are lessons that we learn and forget. And there are lessons that we forget to learn.There are so many lessons that we can take from the late Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. But one of the greatest lessons that we should not forget from him is: DON’T BE AFRAID!It doesn’t matter what or who you are, don’t be afraid. Fear is the mother of all failures.A generation which is afraid is doomed. A generation which is afraid will never produce any revolutions. So the question is, do we want to be remembered as a generation that has not produced any revolution?MANY MUGABESLooking at an old man like Mugabe, it became apparent that politics is finished in him, but he is not yet finished with politics. The man is so old and tired he can’t even catch a tortoise. But he wants to continue ruling.The Mugabe’s are everywhere; they just had different names and wear different spectacles. Good leaders are those who know when to fight, when to rule and when to retire and give a chance to others. Unlike Andimba, very few politicians retire in Namibia. Are we waiting for them to eat themselves to death and leave us with nothing?We should no longer allow the Mugabe's of Namibia to ruin our country. Some of them have nothing to offer anymore, but it seems they still want to rule until every tree and mountain is named after them. So Namibian youths, don’t be afraid!Not so long ago, there was a popular hashtag "What Would Magufuli Do?" in response to the current president of Tanzania making some brave and prudent decisions.WHAT WOULD ANDIMBA DO?After the death of our liberation hero, Andimba, young people in Namibia should pause and ask themselves: What Would Andimba ya Toivo do if Andimba was a youth in Namibia today? I am not calling for a hashtag. We need action!Andimba is gone. But what does his legacy mean to the young generation of today? What can we learn from him and what can we do as a country?To continue the legacy of Andimba, we can create something to be known as the Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Young Leaders' Fellowship, as a platform to recognize, advise, guide, motivate and mentor young Namibian leaders on leadership ethics. That will be a fitting tribute to Andimba and what he stood for. The aim is not to discover the next Andimba, but to find a leader who is even better than Andimba tenfold.SNAKES AND CROCODILESIt’s critical to mould future leaders because we don’t really build young leaders in Namibia, we poison them instead. We poison young leaders to be arrogant, greedy, ruthless, heartless, selfish as well as to speak in "snake tongues" whenever they are talking to the poor people. Some of our leaders speak to us in "snake tongues". So many people are afraid to approach their leaders.Some of our leaders are busy playing "crocodile politics"; big crocodiles eat the baby crocodiles without remorse.Some Namibian leaders think they are kings and queens. Everyone wants to be addressed as "honourable", even those who don’t know how to spell the word honourable.Let us not take our freedom as a chance to live like kings, but as a duty to serve others. We need more ethical and selfless young leaders in Namibia.After independence, it seems we were so overwhelmed with excitement that we even forgot how to think and plan ahead. Before long we found ourselves lost like drunken fools, deep in the wilderness of poverty and ignorance.Namibia ought to be a land of milk and honey, but now it has been reduced to a hopeless "Oros Republic", the "Land of Alcohol and Aros".CHINESE MONEYThere is little hope in our leaders. Some of them are confused and drunk on Chinese money.Almost every day we are being reminded how China assisted us during the liberation struggle. But the role of China during Namibia’s liberation struggle is extremely exaggerated.When Namibians were in exile, they use to sing about the liberation struggle. These songs are sometimes called "Swapo songs". I grew up listening to these songs and I still listen to them now. But I have never heard China being mentioned in these songs. Not even a name of a single Chinese leader.So if China was so important during Namibia’s liberation struggle, why the Namibian people did not acknowledge China’s contribution in their songs? This is definitely a clear indication that we need principled leaders who will not betray their people and sell our country to the foreigners.FOOD VS TOOTHPICKSIf you are hungry, you thank and praise the one who gave you food. But not the one who gave you a toothpick.Cuba, Russia, Angola and Zambia gave us food. But the Chinese simply gave us toothpicks. Now we forgot those who gave us food and only remember those who gave us broken toothpicks. What a shame!It’s obvious that some of our leaders are total sell-outs. Some of those leaders are ready to do anything for the Chinese, just to get bribes and fill their dirty pockets.To the Cuban representatives in Namibia, it’s good that you spoke at Andimba’s memorial service. But I felt that you are also betraying the revolution and the Cuban people. When are you going to remind our leaders that the Cuban sons who died fighting the Apartheid forces in Angola didn’t die for corruption, self-enrichment or for the poor Namibians to live in shanty towns? It’s time to remind our leaders what your compatriots died for. So don’t be afraid!HARROWING HORRORSIt’s getting worse. Our country is turning into a land of harrowing horrors.Living in Namibia today might even qualify for one thousand ways to die. The system is rotten and corrupt. They think that everything belongs to them.The future looks bleak. A nation with a small clique of rich people while the masses are poor and doomed.Humanity without humility is doomed. We should know that if rich people don’t want to share with the poor, then the poor people will make life difficult for the rich people.We should learn that if you make a man useless and hopeless to live for something, he will become too dangerous to live for anything. We must never let Namibia turn into Mexico.SILENT SUPPORTSome people are silent because they are benefiting from corruption. But we must never be happy just because we are benefiting from the crime.We should never celebrate beauty or wealth from crime.A government for comrades and their children is doomed. If our government was a woman, it will be a gold digger.The youths must continue to fight for a better Namibia. If a lion fails to roar, the baboon will declare itself the king of the jungle. If good people are quiet, bad men will rule. So don’t be afraid!Salvation will not come from the heavens or Jerusalem. Namibian youths should emulate the bravery of Andimba and fight to make Namibia a better place for all. It’s all about courage.A man does not climb a mountain with his feet, but with his heart. We can’t wait for some other people to come and fight for us. We can’t blame the whites forever either. We must learn to solve our problems.We must learn to pay attention even to the little things in our country. It was not the elephant but the snake that had betrayed Adam in the Garden of Eden.WRONG VICESIt’s very disappointing when some Namibian youths say they are afraid of being killed.But are you not afraid of dying in car accidents when you drive like Lewis Hamilton? Are you not afraid of dying from AIDS when you have unprotected sex? Are you not afraid of dying when you use harmful drugs? Are you not afraid to die when you drink alcohol like the Mayor of Sodom and Gomorrah?Dying brave is better than dying poor.The youths are not useless fools who should be ignored and left to lag behind like a tail. Even a tail has a purpose. And just like Andimba, the youth should never dread or sell their principles.A bird doesn’t fly with one wing. So the youths should start to work together in order to move forward. People should discuss issues that affect them.So Namibian youths, you have nothing to fear or loose but your poverty. Don’t let someone turn you into circus lions and circus elephants. A circus lion or elephant thinks it is a mouse.Andimba would never allow someone to turn him into a circus lion/elephant. Not even at gunpoint.THE TIME IS NOWAndimba was young when he began the fight to free Namibia from colonialism.Don’t wait to grow grey hair before you do something for Namibia. No one is too young or too poor to make a difference.Andimba was not rich when he began the struggle. You don’t need to be a governor, minister, a president or a millionaire to make a difference.You can be Mother Teresa, King Martin Luther Junior or even a Che Guevara in your street, town or village. After all, those people were also not presidents or wealthy.Namibian youth, rise and roar for change. Rise and roar for your future. Rise and roar like Andimba. A man is not judged by the size of his head, but by the size of the dream in his head. In the end, it’s better to be led by a wise mouse than to be led by a foolish elephant. So don’t be afraid!(Salom Shilongo is the author of The Hopeless Hopes)

Lessons from Andimba

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Republikein 2026-03-12

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Lessons from Andimba

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