HIV/Aids Africa

‘The choice of a new generation’ so goes the Pepsi
poster advert in Nelao Haimbodi’s office. She is the student representative
council?s (SRC) secretary for publicity and information at the country’s biggest
tertiary institution, the University of Namibia (UNAM). This is the place where
Namibia’s modern politics are expected to originate from to tackle issues not
yet put to rest by the old fight against oppression.But this is not the case,
argue politicians, who say they young people of today suffer from political
apathy. They are not keen on taking up issues and continuing the fight the older
generation had passed on to the young generation.The Economist went to the UNAM
to solicit the views of the young people themselves on independence and
politics.From the outside, the apathy seems quite obvious. Young people have
their own war to fight. The war against HIV/AIDS is clearly visible from
Haimbodi’s posters on sexual reproductory health. The only political material in
her office is the poster campaign for 50-50 representation of men and women in
government.At least she is politically inclined. The office of SRC president
Moses Moses has nothing to show of his political inclinations. Not even visuals
of Independence Day which is just days ahead.What are we? What have we learned
from the past? How do we relate to Namibia’s Independence Day? How would we
define it?For Inyemba Kamwi, a student, the day represents ?freedom, in the
sense that we are allowed to be who we want to be and actually be where we want
to be?. Moses thinks of it as ? ? the time to think of what happened, the
achievements and accomplishments and of what we would like to change, put into
action certain things which we failed to address?.Levi Shilongo, also a student,
mentions ?rights for every citizen, black or white, to choose their own leader
in a democratic society. The right to pursue business freely?.It was Haimbodi
who tackled it from an interesting angle. She feels Independence Day can be
difficult for young people to understand; something they had never
experienced.?It has no profound meaning to them?. Why? ?Because you cannot miss
what you never had?. Hence the understanding of the day and the history is
restricted to the diverse intellectual and other abilities of individual young
people,? she says.According to these students, young people are not apathetic
towards politics. ?They are like sleeping lions. Just because they are asleep
does not mean you have to declare them harmless?, says Moses. Haimbodi says what
is needed is provocation.?Until were are provoked, there will not be much
activity like in the struggle. I do not mean a war but something that can
provoke young people to stand up and fight for their rights?, she says, adding
that she only sees that happening in the next generation.Zaa, another student,
says that just as it took a generation before the generation of Sam Nujoma
created Swapo, so it would be with the current generation.?Swapo did not start
the struggle. There were others before them. It is generations after
generations?.What needed to be fought against now is tribalism, which seems to
be prevalent at UNAM according to Moses.?In sport you see it. The teams consist
of people of one region, then tribes, and they do not mingle?. But he says UNAM
is not responsible for the creation of such evils but only for allowing it.To
others the problem is with race. ?At these so-called former white schools, white
children still refuse to mingle with black children. There are classes for
blacks and for whites?.Instead of waiting for provocation, perhaps it is time
for young people to provoke the situation before things go wrong.