Last August I was scheduled to address Heroes Day in Manchester. Due to sabotage, I could not make. Understandably, organisers – the Community on Namibian in Great Britain (CNGB) – were disappointed. Last week, one of CNGB members contacted me regarding the Russian land deal. She was concerned about her British business friends who interpreted the deal as an indicator that Namibia is, in her words, is the ‘The real McCoy’ for foreigners. They too, like the Russian, are planning to visit politicians to get their land for 99 years. I told her that Namibia is a 24hours brothel for rich foreign imbeciles. I had to explain this discomforting comparison. A brothel, a place of commercial sexual acts, has the following stakeholders; the manager and bouncers, the prostitutes and the clients. The prostitute is central in the brothel enterprise. To a client, a prostitute is a tantalising object of desire, conquest and indulgence. A client is not concerned with the prostitute’s humanity. To a brothel manager and bouncers, a prostitute is a gold mine, a source of income. Like the client, managers are not concerned with the prostitute’s humanity. Then there are relatives and parents who await God’s intervention for their own to terminate her relationship with the brothel. Our country is in a similar state. Our country (brothel) has become a paradise for rich foreign imbeciles (clients) whose eyes are set on our resources (prostitute). Our leaders (managers and bouncers) stands ready to make our resources (prostitutes) available to rich foreign imbeciles (clients) for use (sexual exploits). This has been happening from 1990 to date (24hours) resulting in foreigners benefiting handsomely at Namibia’s expense (endless orgasms).

 Our departed ancestor Frantz Fanon had long warned us about post-colonial Africa falling for neo-liberal universalism because of the unpreparedness and distance between the masses and the political elites. The result, he argued, of “their cowardice at the decisive moment of the struggle will give rise to tragic mishaps.” It as he was looking at Namibia whose economic constitutional content was designed by foreigners, for foreigners. For seven years from 1990 to 1996, Bank of Namibia was run by foreigner Governors: Netherland's Bernard (1990 -1991), Sweden's Karlsson (1991 - 1993) and Malaysia's Ahmad (1994 -1996). During the formulation of Vision 2030, a Nigerian consultant was appointed to be the brain behind Namibia’s then then long-term strategic vision. In the 2000s, an Indian consultant played a domineering role in the formulation of Namibia’s foreign policy resulting in the 2004 adopted Foreign policy white paper.  Before feeble minds find cover in xenophobia, let’s immediately be clear that a country’s constitution, foreign policy and long-term development vision are not auction areas. Indeed, these cannot be compared waste management policy or photography. No serious country hands over these sovereign and patriotic spaces to outsiders.  While a good neighbour can enter your kitchen and seating room, it is extraordinary if he/she proceed to your bedroom. However, in a brothel all rooms are available to clients.

To Africans, pain and grief are personal. Foreigners were consulted by government and paid millions to ‘advise’ Namibians how to redress the results of the pain from the 1904 Herero and Nama genocide. Foreigners are busy, for millions, drafting the Crime prevention strategy. Few months ago, President Geingob effectively disclosed that it was the Queen of England who caused government to abandon the 25% clause in the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF). To government, foreigners are royalty.  Those who disagree must answer this simple question: who enjoy access and trust of Head of State between tax fraud accused Chinese national Jack Huang and Damara King Justus //Garoeb? Both Johnny Johnson Doeseb (Namibian) and Chinese Stina Wu (Chinese) are in the construction and property development industry. While Doeseb has several qualifications, Wu was a mere alphabet teaching kindergarten teacher in China.  She is now a millionaire who donated N$ 600 000 to a private foundation of President Geingob’s wife. A simple question must be asked; between Wu and Doeseb, who has gotten more land for business from government?  How many Namibian companies got an opportunity to present their business ideas to Cabinet like the Chinese company, the Namibia Oriental Tobacco CC, that want to plant drugs, not food, on the fertile land of Zambezi?

 Consider the Malaysian multinational group Ramatex Berhad that came to Namibia in the 2000s. The company got Windhoek land on a 99 year lease at a cost of only N$ 1 188. The municipality spent N$ 80 million to service this land for the Malaysians, who were also allowed not to pay tax. The results were disastrous; after contaminating the Windhoek Aquifer (layer of underground water), flouting environmental laws, subjecting female employees to undergo pregnancy test and other exploitations, Ramatex took the money made and left. It was speculated then that pockets of SWAPO elites were decorated by Malaysians. The Russian deal is the same; from the 99 year lease, flouting of environmental laws (given reports of disappearing wild animals and the burial of anthrax-infected rhinos) and the exploitation of workers. It will not be surprising, given the high gear defence of the dubious deal, that politician pockets were again populated. Our politicians can be bought for personal use, like a loaf of bread.  In 2012, Australians concluded a deal, outside Namibia, selling the country’s land to the Chinese for N$ 20 billion to set up Husab uranium mine. The Chinese gave Namibia only 10% share in its own resources. To get this 10% share, Namibia got a loan about N$ 2 billion, from the same Chinese to buy these shares.  This loan will be repaid for 15 years, meaning Namibia share for 15 years will be zero.  Scandalously, Husab lifespan is between 20 to 25 years. Imagine Chinese packing up and leaving at the 16th year when Namibia supposed to start benefiting. In a brothel, a client can demand and do as he wishes to a prostitute. The Husab deal corroborates a brothel scenario.

 President Geingob will not help us. He had always been a willing bouncer at the door of the brothel. As a SWAPO Chief Whip in the National Assembly and later as a Trade Minister, he was paid by foreigners to facilitate the smoothening of their deals. These same ‘bribers’ are in French courts answering questions why they bribed him. He is a business partner with tax fraud accused Chinese Jack Huang. He recently, as chairperson of Cabinet, dubiously gave multiple farms to the Russian for 99 years.

There is now consensus that the brothel must be shut and prostitutes rescued for rehabilitation and reintegration in the new society. The bouncers and clients will not close the brothel but young men and women, with talent and energy. The options are limited. In fact, there is only one option; radical. The 2018 gimmick land conference has demonstrated foolishness inherent in siting with managers/bouncers, and clients, to discuss the negative impact of the brothel. Without a radical intervention things can get worse – instead of losing a toe we may lose a leg. Without a doubt, Namibia is a 24hours rich foreigner’s brothel. 2019 will serve as the first steps in confronting the bouncers and clients prostituting our country.

Job Shipululo Amupanda is a Senior Lecturer (political science) at the University of Namibia and a Decolonial Scholar and Activist with the Affirmative Repositioning movement. Email: jamupanda@unam.na 

*An edited version of this article was originally published in the New Era Newspaper (12 December 2018)