Subjective Perception: After 27 Years
Roots, they bind
me
Culture, rooted
within my faith
Proud I am to be
of the soil – of the land of the brave
Namibian child I
am,
Pure and gratified
Struggles I have
witnessed,
Lived through-
unimaginable pains
For today- where
I can freely walk in my democracy “Acclaimed”
Or do I? There are
thoughts on my mind that I ponder on endlessly
Because for a
land so brave and democratic...
So free and
peaceful…
I question,
whether I can factually say I walk freely in my democracy “Acclaimed”
27 years of
Independence as a country-
Here I am still
questioning, as I still can’t fathom what it means to reap the liberation
accorded to all
The
celebrations, the commemorations – have me juggle the truthfulness of who we
are as Namibia
The language of
freedom, equality, socio-economic development has manifested its subjectivisms’
that clearly violates the values of what we stand for!
What then? Why
then, did we watch as our sisters and brothers got whipped,
Lead marches for
our freedom just to be gunned down? Why then did we leave our homes?
Why did we
experience exile?...
Was the sole
purpose not because we wanted to be treated as human beings?
Did we not want
to be seen equal to white people and enjoy the privileges they had too?
Did we not fight
beliefs and battles to be able to love across racial boarders?
Was the freedom
we fought for not for some of those very purposes-
If so and
believing the essence of where I hail from I know we faced great trails to be
where we are today…
Therefore, I fail
to comprehend- when my country shuns me and calls me un-Namibian,
How we could
together as a nation repeat the pains inflicted on us by our colonisers…
Within this era
of Liberation, I experience a recolonization by my own people
My identity is
layered, However I am no different…
As I continue to
strive for better, my experience of injustice seems to grow – daily.
As the bubbles
brew deep inside of me, I know it stems from me not having any space
To offload, when
many claim support systems all ‘round… Mirage- Rather
I, I desire a
Namibia that upholds the diversity within our realities
Within our
boarders, the realities that advanced the consciousness of our narratives- they
that define our heritage
A heritage that
has laid a foundation, one our ancestors hoped would create peace, stability
and eventually an enabling space that dignifies all Namibians
I anticipate,
anxiously for my country’s realisation-
That, I too,
hail from the very soil they fought on, for my freedom, for my Liberation…
That I am no
different, Though my identity is layered…
By: Linda RM
Baumann
19 March 2017
08h25
