STAFF WRITER
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on businesses to move beyond corporate social investment (CSI) that is focused on publicity and donations.
She said corporate investment must create lasting change in communities.
“Corporate Social Investment should never become window dressing, a public-relations exercise or an item included in an annual report simply to demonstrate compliance. It should mean what it says: a genuine investment in society.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the inauguration of the Namibia Corporate Social Investment Mukopano in Windhoek on Thursday.
She said the impact of corporate investment should be measured by the change it creates.
“The true measure of such investment is not the size of an announcement or the visibility surrounding a donation. It is whether a classroom has been improved, a clinic supported, a young person trained, a family empowered, or an entire community placed on a firmer path towards self-reliance.”
The President said some of the country’s most profitable commercial activities draw their value, customers or resources from communities that continue to face poverty and limited opportunities.
“Without pointing fingers or naming institutions, an honest examination of our own records will show how much of what is earned from these communities is reinvested in their long-term development.”
She said the question should not only be how much businesses spend on CSI, but whether the investment is sincere, sustained and produces tangible change.
Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed that the Government is not against businesses making profits.
“We are not opposed to profit. Profitable and well-managed businesses are indispensable to economic growth, employment creation and national development.”
She also said businesses should be able to reward hard work, innovation and good leadership.
“We want Namibian enterprises to grow, compete and prosper.”
Her appeal, she said, was for businesses to remain conscious of the communities that make their success possible.
“Our appeal is simply that, alongside the pursuit of commercial success, we should remain conscious of the next person and of the communities that make such success possible.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah called on businesses to deepen their presence in rural communities.
She said the Government plans to construct basic sports fields across all 121 constituencies, but cannot achieve the objective alone.
“While the Government will provide policy direction and coordination, it cannot achieve this objective alone. Through partnership, we can broaden opportunity and ensure that development reaches every part of our country.”
PUSH FOR YOUTH SUPPORT
The President also called on the private sector to expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities for graduates and students.
“Youth unemployment remains a serious concern and demands a concerted response from all stakeholders.”
She said the Mukopano Initiative should consider equipment and start-up support for graduates, particularly those emerging from vocational training centres.
The support would enable graduates to obtain the tools they need to establish businesses, apply their skills and create sustainable livelihoods.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also highlighted the Government’s target to repurpose eight industrial parks into entrepreneurial centres by 2027.
“The responsibility before us is to develop practical proposals that will accelerate implementation and delivery within the set timeframe.”
AGRICULTURE PRIORITY
The President said agriculture remains a key area for investment.
“Agriculture is our number one priority and a key driver of food security.”
She said the Sixth National Development Plan identifies stronger agricultural value chains, domestic agricultural inputs, research and innovation, and improved market access as areas where the initiative can build meaningful partnerships.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for greater support for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable or marginalised communities.
“Such communities should never be treated as instruments for corporate visibility. They must be engaged with dignity and respect.”
She said people should not remain passive recipients of corporate support.
“Our people should not remain passive recipients; they must be equipped with the skills, capital and opportunities necessary to transform their own lives.”
The President said CSI must therefore move away from once-off donations towards long-term partnerships.
“Corporate Social Investment must therefore move beyond once-off donations and sponsorships towards enduring partnerships that build community capacity and self-reliance.”
She also called for a nationally coordinated framework for CSI to improve coordination, monitoring, accountability and transparency.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the framework would help align corporate investment with national priorities.
“In this way, we can move from fragmented interventions towards a more inclusive, coherent and sustainable platform.”
She urged the Mukopano Initiative to ensure that its discussions result in action.
“This initiative must therefore not become another gathering at which we meet, deliberate and depart without tangible outcomes.”
“Let us establish clear mechanisms to ensure that the commitments made here are translated into practical projects, measurable impact and lasting partnerships.”
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