By: Kandjengo kaMkwaanyoka
As we count down to 2026, I have one significant ask from the majority of you: Can we please read more about ourselves, policies, and African literature?
We have to normalise reading beyond the Bible. Everything we want or aspire to change is hidden in some legislative piece, which we need to study since the country is guided by laws, processes, and institutions.
Our country has a reading culture problem; as a result, we have little participation or engagement in matters of national interest. Moreover, history about ourselves is documented in some written pieces, but we aren’t reading at all; we just believe what a few individuals tell us.
We have the difficult task of building and transforming the Namibian economy, something we have been struggling to do for decades. We are documenting various matters affecting our economy and society – producing 100s of reports and piling them in various offices.
We have written countless strategies and done a number of diagnostic studies; we even hired external consultants to do studies on various issues we are facing. We have conducted censuses and household expenditure surveys to understand our poverty dynamics.
Now, the question is, are we reading these reports? Because they are supposed to shape our actions and interventions.
Our NDP 6 is 324 pages, which is our blueprint for economic transformation, and the implementation plan is even longer, 421 pages. I wonder how many of us (from the public and private sector) read the two stacked documents. It is critical that we read them because they are our guiding light for economic transformation.
Another reason why we must read more is for policy formulation, as part of the law formulation process in Namibia involves having all Bills go for public consultation. These inputs we are supposed to give are guided by the sectoral challenges that we are facing across the economy or society.
However, one has to read the Bill to be able to give inputs and suggestions. If we do not read these bills and give suggestions, it means we have not participated and shaped our laws, and they will only represent the views of the drafters or the few who read them.
We have to read, colleagues.
The agreements we are signing need proper scrutiny and assessment by studying them thoroughly before they are signed. Doing so would prevent trapping ourselves in agreements like SACU or getting the bare minimum in bilateral or multilateral agreements.
Investment proposals and environmental assessments, all need to be read for us to approve things that are safe and sustainable for our future.
We have to read.
So, as we enter 2026, let us develop a culture of reading, to enlighten our minds, feed our perspectives, and schools of thought on various matters.
We must read to know what they are planning, to understand the past, to benchmark, and to acquire new knowledge that we have no access to in our education system.
Travel with that book, read that book as you cook, and enjoy that research paper while sipping on your beer.
Motivate your kids to read, buy them books about their culture, history, entrepreneurship, and the continent.
Let the reading culture begin.
