EDITORIAL
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer.
His ideas influenced the Enlightenment – the French Revolution, and modern political and educational thoughts.
At least this is according to literature that many of us have consumed in the past decades of our time in academia.
He believed that humans are inherently good but corrupted by society, advocating for a “social contract” based on the “general will” to ensure freedom and equality.
His famous work, The Social Contract published in 1762 , argued against the divine right of kings and for popular sovereignty, defining the relationship between individuals and society.
He was quite a mind – gripping philosopher of his time and indeed one that continues to shape political and social discourse in contemporary times.
Rousseau is credited for the quote “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich”.
The quote is often adapted as “One day the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich”.
While often attributed to him to criticize wealth inequality, it was popularised after his death during the French Revolution.
Alas, his prowess in literature and influence on society did not die with him.
It still lives in modern societies with real influence on real people.
In Namibia, we seem to live this thought by the day.
Only last week President Nandi-Ndaitwah approved a new salary and allowance structure for herself, Vice President, ministers, governors, chairpersons of regional councils, management committees, members of parliament and special ministerial advisors through a government gazette.
The salary structure for Public Office Bearers commits Namibians to continue paying N$55 560 annually for electricity and water usage by ministers and members of the executive.
The adjustments are effective 1 April 2026.
The approved structure will see Namibians paying N$48 240 annually to foot the water and electricity bills for deputy ministers.
Tax payers will pay N$55 560 to cover the water and electricity bills for ministers, Director of Intelligence Service , Attorney General, Director General of the National Planning Commission, President and Vice President.
The new salary structure will also see the Prime Minister receiving N$351 175 in housing allowance taking his full salary package to N$1 651 832 annually.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s housing allowance is now pegged at N$289 957 annually taking the overall salary structure to N$1 349 761.
Ministers will get a housing allowance of N$273 311 and a telephone allowance of N$1440 .The adjustments take the ministers’ annual salary to N$1 342 572.
The President also approved a salary structure that will see tax payers’ paying N$1260 for cell phone bills for the Auditor General, N$1440 for the cell bill of the DG of National Planning Commission, N$1080 for the cellphone bill of deputy ministers , N$864 for cellphone bills of the Chairperson of the National Council.
This is despite the president coming into office on the back of cutting unnecessary expenditure in her tenure.
What is also striking is that the president’s decision comes at a time when many Namibians simply have no access to water and electricity.
Others walk kilometres in towns to access community water points.
In such scenarios their anger is perfectly understandable.
And just like in Rousseau’s literature the poor in Namibia have every good right to be angry against such pampering of the elite at the expense of the ordinary folk.
And such folklore will see the Namibian poor, contemplating the rich as their next dinner menu.
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