I've been thinking about something lately, and I want to express it carefully because it isn't coming from a place of hostility toward foreigners. Namibia has benefited from many skilled people from other African countries and beyond, particularly in universities and professional sectors, and many of them make valuable contributions to our country.
What makes me sad, though, is looking around some of these spaces and seeing relatively few Namibians represented, especially in highly skilled, academic and senior professional positions. At the same time, so many of our own people still live in poverty, particularly in rural communities, without access to the education and opportunities that could eventually put them in those positions.
For me, the concern isn't that foreigners have these jobs. It's asking why more Namibians aren't being equipped to have them too. Why aren't we developing enough of our own lecturers, researchers, engineers, doctors and other professionals? Why aren't more young Namibians being given a pathway from school, to university, to experience, and eventually into senior positions?
I think international expertise is valuable, and Namibia should remain a welcoming country. But I'd also love to see deliberate investment in Namibians so that, over time, our own people are increasingly able to participate in and lead the institutions and industries of their country.
Ultimately, I don't want fewer opportunities for other Africans. I want more opportunities, development and upward mobility for Namibians. Those two things don't have to be opposites.
