Our 'Government properties mentality'

TUHAFENI N

MWANDINGI WRITES:

Allow me space in your newspaper to bring to the attention of the Namibian public what I deem a real area of concern among factors effecting Namibia as a nation.

It is within the Namibia we are living where Government properties are not handled with care as private properties. I wonder why Namibians are letting their minds to be colonised by what I refer to as the "Government properties mentality". The government properties mentality in this context is defined as the frame of mind of people that it is okay to mishandle government properties.

Go to any Government institution/parastatal/anywhere else where Government funded properties is being used, and you will be shocked to observe the following.

• Water taps are just running and people don't seem to care.

• Lights and air conditioners are being left on all night long by individuals who can even beat children for leaving lights on at home.

• Furniture and other equipment are being thrown around in schools and other government institutions.

• Government vehicles are being driven like there is no tomorrow. You won't believe that a person who drives GRN vehicles very rough is the smoothest driver when driving his/her own vehicle.

• Government buildings are being vandalized day after day and people don't seem to care.

• Government funds are being abused and people seem to always get away with it.

• Equipment and utensils are missing day after day and nobody seems to be concerned and the list goes on.

This is just a tip of an iceberg to ignite your mind on what is going on out there.



'IT IS NOT OURS'

A common answer you always get when you ask why is someone abusing properties is; “It is Government properties”.

This answer is heart-breaking, fellow countrymen. You keep wondering why someone would mishandle properties just because they belong to the Government.

Could this be borne in the idea that the word "Government" bears a wrong definition in some people's vocabularies? Could it be a grandchild of subtle ignorance? Could it be emanating from political blindfolds amongst Namibians?

Do we lack vision or are we simply and subtly ignoring the fact that the misuse of GRN properties is robbing our kids of a better future. How they are going to live in the future will be determined by our behaviour towards those resources.

Come on Namibians! How would one even demand better services, job provision, more infrastructure upgrades and more facilities if big chunks of GRN funds are going for the maintenance of facilities and bills for which they are the culprits? That's large amounts of money being taken from GRN coffers which are inflating water and electricity bills, other utilities and renovations of facilities monthly?

How can Government plans be on target if such bills are not predictable anymore? How can Government accumulate funds to meet our demands?

Because of this state of mind one may also think it is not necessary to build more because things will just be destroyed, resulting in more maintenance issues.

The young generations are engulfed in the Government properties mentality and they are growing up believing it's "Government properties" and it's okay to misuse them. If our children are growing up believing GRN properties are excessively abundant, therefore abusing them doesn't do any harm.



WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Isn't this a weapon of mass destruction we have created bound to destroy our valuable resources?

It's indeed true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. ­Therefore it's an obvious scenario that our children and children of our children learn the bad trait from us (parents). It's therefore a noble idea and an easy task to teach them and redirect their minds that it is not Government properties but their properties.

It's against this background that I'm urging Namibians to change their mind-sets, revisit their definitions of Government and understand that, regardless of our political, ethnic, religious and ideological differences, it's the future of our children that matters the most. Therefore we have common visions, among others, to safeguard resources, and thereby make Namibia a better place for the future of our kids because they are going to spend the rest of their lives in the future.

It should indeed be known that when you are deliberately damaging or misusing resources, you are not troubling senior officials in Government or the ruling party but you are inflicting pain to your children, grandchildren and grand-grandchildren. It will be them who will endure the pain of hunger, poverty and deteriorating living conditions in future, simply eating bitter fruits of their parents' gardens.

I therefore hope that leaving lights, air conditioners and other appliances on, mishandling of furniture and equipment, abuse of vehicles, misuse of funds, vandalism, leaving windows and doors open, running taps (drinking with hands while the tap runs for minutes etc.) among others as a result of subtle ignorance borne in the "Government properties mentality" will indeed become a thing of the past.

It's therefore clear that, no matter how Government tries to make a difference, its efforts will yield no fruits if we are still living in an era of "Government properties".

Things can be built today but tomorrow, they will already be broken. Buildings can be renovated today but tomorrow they are already vandalized. It's an unalterable fact that success in terms of development depends on our willingness to help the Government and it should begin with us now, today and not tomorrow.

I'm therefore humbly requesting us to own those facilities, fellow Namibians and take care of them as if they are our own, in our pursuit to reduce unnecessary pouring of funds into misused facilities and resources and foster steadfast caring of resources to yield the accumulation of funds to build Namibia for the love of Namibia and its people.

Peace, care and love be with you all Namibians, for a better Namibia.