Iipumbu Sakaria

Our public discourse is very much dominated by negative narratives on our country and the way we go about things. However, I am of the view that there is so much we as Namibians should appreciate our country for. Hence, the purpose of this article is to try to make our people aware of what a good country, in all relative terms, we are living in. I will confine myself to a few areas including the political, economic and social factors which I think we should be appreciative of. 
As we might know, Namibia is a very large country with few people. In fact, we have the second lowest population density in the world meaning, that as Namibians we have a lot of space to live in. Compared to many countries, where people essentially live in highly congested areas, Namibia is a place of wide-open spaces. Our traffic conditions, where we in Namibia do not face anything seen and compared to places and areas where the population is very high, is something that we take for granted. In some countries people spend hours on the road to work, whilst here in Namibia it can sometimes take less than 10 minutes, depending on the relative distance of course. Our infrastructure, especially roads, is also something that we need to be proud of. It is not an exaggeration to say that you can reach most corners of the country by road; and in most cases, via good roads. The same, or similar, applies to telecommunication infrastructure. 
We should also be appreciative of our country through the sheer natural assets and beauty it presents. We are one of the few countries that can boast to have both an ocean as well as a desert. From a tourist perspective we have all the major attractions such as wildlife, including the big five, waterfalls, deserts, culture and are a definite a favourite tourist destination for many visitors. In terms of natural resources, we are a powerhouse. 
One of the greatest aspects of the country that we live in is the peace, tranquillity and political stability in our country. Namibia is easily one of the most peaceful countries in the world, and if Namibians have any doubt about that, they might do themselves a favour by engaging many of those that came to live in Namibia and witness this great reality of our country. The political and social environment is fairly very good, for both individuals and institutions, and allows people to go about their business without much harassment and hassle. Our media environment is also rather very good compared to many other countries and this also needs to be applauded. 
The fact that our elections are held in a manner that avoids violence, rioting, people on the streets and general ungovernable chaos, says a lot about our stability. It is also true to indicate that most of our political office bearers, including the President, are highly accessible to the nation and one does not necessarily have to break and arm and leg to engage or have meetings with them. We might underrate this reality but it is something to be proud of. 
From an economic perspective, we know that the economy has been declining over the past two years. However, our macroeconomic policy is well managed something worth being proud of. Our banking, retail and business sectors are functioning and there is faith in the way things are gone about in this sector. The functional institutions are guaranteed by a sound judiciary. 
There is no doubt that as a country we still have major challenges to overcome. Nonetheless, it is important to appreciate and also celebrate what works, as these are the foundations upon which we garner the courage to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. 

* Iipumbu Sakaria is a Namibian citizen who believes in the potential of his country.