New Era (Windhoek)
30 October 2009
editorial
THE elections in November will not be defined by policies alone. Equally, a determining factor is the quality of character and style of leadership of the contestants and they better take note of the way they relate to and are perceived by the voters.
The electorate in Namibia is by and large looking for servants to serve them and not masters to take the high tables. The electorate will be content with leaders who share their values of modesty, humility, respect, discipline and hard work.
The country very much desires men and women with deep understanding of the material conditions of the lives of the people. Voters want passionate and dedicated visionaries that are committed to public service and not leaders that simply want to line their pockets at the expense of the downtrodden and its wanachi or ordinary people.
Ordinary folks in this land have had enough of jokers for leaders. They are not interested in leaders that only demand reverence even when they have not earned it either.
Namibian voters are fast maturing and will not settle for anything mediocre or inferior. They want the best in life and political parties that are contesting the November elections should match these expectations by the voters without fail.
Parties should not bank too much on money and finely crafted manifestos. Politicians have to rise to the occasion and come down from their ivory towers. They should walk the dusty paths of our villages to meet, eat and even drink from the wells with village dwellers.
At the same time, Namibian politicians have to learn to show their human side. It is so that some of the politicians are too stiff, too formal and too official when they are among the people who no matter how unsophisticated they may look will cast that all-important vote.
This situation does not bode well for intimate relations and communication between leaders and the people. Let politicians join the people and laugh, cry, sing and dance - whatever the case may be and thus become themselves when they are in the company of their people.
In this connection, we are reminded of former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda who would on occasions break down and openly weep when confronted by a distressing situation that affected his people.
And indeed, such out-pouring of emotion by Kaunda endeared him well with his people because they felt his human side.
Another example is that of Botswana President Ian Khama who won presidential election in that country a week ago. President Khama often shows a human face never mind his political downside.
He has a tendency to surprise friends and foe alike by popping up at the homes of ordinary people where he engages them one on one about their lives and people love that. We are also told that on occasions, he joins ordinary people around open fires at night to chat to them or tell tales. A story is being told about how some people do not wash their hands for days on end after shaking his hand during such unannounced visits lest their luck disappears with the act. There are many such other examples by other leaders.
Not long ago, an eminent African was voted out because his critics and the people whose votes mattered said he was aloof, distant and out of tune with realities on the ground.
The point we want to drive home here is that people not only want to hear about the good policies but also want to see the human side of their leaders. Trust naturally occurs when there is a relationship between those whose support is sought and those who seek support.
Voters want to be assured that those who are canvassing for support are worth their support and will not abuse it. They want to be sure that those seeking their support are people of integrity but are also ordinary human beings like themselves, hence the desire for politicians to come down to earth particularly when they meet ordinary people lest they lose votes for being aloof and totally out of tune with the lives of the people they want to lead.
Failing the above, the leaders would squander a real opportunity presented by the elections to meaningfully interact with the voters and conduct exhaustive dialogue with them so as to get their inner feel and heartbeat.
Common sense dictates that only parties that have a firm grasp of the needs and desires of the voters would win and voters want to be assured that their leaders though living in grandeur have the values of pastoral simplicity and could relate and represent them.
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