The Namibia Air Pipedream

The government’s insistence on reviving a national airline that has already cost taxpayers a hefty N$8.4 billion shows that Namibia’s leaders are either out of touch with economic realities or know what they want and want to continue gambling with what is not theirs.

A country with national unemployment of 36.9%, stagnant economic growth, rampant poverty and high inequality has no business pumping scarce resources into vanity projects such as a state-owned airline.

For years, a section of Namibia’s elite has pushed for the revival of a national airline in the name of flying the flag. Some claim it contributes to Namibia’s economic growth.

Essentially, Namibian leaders are asking taxpayers to risk what they would never risk with their own money.

Six years ago, former South African finance minister Tito Mboweni warned politicians against using a government-funded airline to subsidise the elite.

“We have essentially chosen to subsidise the middle class and wealthy flying around the country and other parts of the world, rather than the ordinary workers who sit in old trains from the townships every day, often getting stuck and being late for work,” he said during his budget speech on the continued funding of South African Airways.

Mboweni’s words ring true in Namibia which took a bold step under president Hage Geingob to scrap the national airline.

Yet, the current administration appears to be obsessed with overturning what the president’s predecessor did by trying to resurrect a dead horse. It is clearly meant to burnish the egos of politicians.

Namibia is better off without a national airline. Our leaders should rather divert resources into priorities that would change people’s lives.

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