A Namibian House: Never Leave You Hanging

Originally published in the Informanté newspaper on Thursday, 6 October, 2016.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how our President, Dr Hage Geingob, has spoken of ‘building a Namibian House.’ He has stated that “Namibians want a house where everyone feels a sense of belonging, where everyone is presented with a fair opportunity to prosper in an inclusive manner and by so doing, ensure that no one feels left out.” I stated that Namibians in general agree with that sentiment, and have hope his Harambee Prosperity plan can build the house the President proposes. And I pointed out that while the plan has concrete goals, it lacks in one significant area – what we as the Namibian people need to be for the plan to succeed. 

I’ve stated that there are several values I believe to be crucial for our Namibian House, and last time, I covered honesty. There is, however, more to being a member of the Namibian House than just honesty. What we need as well, is loyalty. Loyalty, or giving and showing firm support to a person, institution or idea, is something that is becoming ever rarer in a world that seemingly espouses love for those who achieve only in the name of self-interest.

Companies, however, have long-since known the value of loyalty. In terms of customers, most companies strive to develop a form of customer loyalty. It costs less in terms of marketing to retain an existing customer than it does to acquire a new one – and companies that are unable to retain customers will soon find themselves having no customers at all. Customer loyalty also somewhat isolates a company from price competition – after all, saving a few bucks while making a gamble on an unknown service level from a new company is less likely to occur if you’ve already experienced great service from your existing provider. It also reduces your marketing spend – because customers talk. And we all know the powerful effect word-of-mouth has on sales.

It is, however, not only in customers that companies have experienced the powerful effects of loyalty. With employees, loyalty is a powerful boost to productivity! Loyalty, as it turns out, has two types – agency loyalty, and identification loyalty. Agency loyalty is owed – you signed a contract, and per that contract you are required to perform certain duties. It is owed to your country as well. You live in your country, and collectively utilize the services the government offers – therefore, you owe the country an agency loyalty – you’ll pay your taxes, and obey the laws, etc. 

But it is the second type of loyalty, identification loyalty, that makes the difference. Agency loyalty is mostly concerned with the actions taken by both parties – it is a business arrangement more than anything else. Identification loyalty, however, concerns attitudes, emotions and a sense of personal identity. It develops when you start to identify with the ideals of your employer, and it aligns with your personal sense of what is right – your ethics. That loyalty, however, is much more difficult to develop. 

It happens when a person enjoys his or her affiliation with the employer, and the employer recognises that their contributions are valuable. The employees who feel a sense of accomplishment in achieving goals that advance the company will start to develop identification loyalty. This is, however, not a one-way street. Employees have to be treated fairly, receiving a fair share of the benefits and difficulties that is dished out. Companies that see employees only as a means to produce profit, will only ever have agency loyalty. Those who treats them as partners that will take both of them forward, can expect identification loyalty. 

Loyalty is powerful. And that means that it should be bestowed with a sense of responsibility. Last Friday, Dr Quinton van Rooyen said, “But we should guard against our very Namibian instinct to create a cult of personality around one hero – one person that must unite us all.” Loyalty here in Africa is often bestowed on a person we do not know personally, who espouses beliefs and value we hold dear. But loyalty to a person you do not know means your loyalty could be warped to support and enable actions you would not ordinarily support. 

This results in people not wishing to provide support to a government due to the people within it – thinking their loyalty would go to a person. It is important to remember that loyalty to Namibia does not mean loyalty to a government – Namibia is a concept, codified in our constitution. As long as we can ensure our loyalty to Namibia, to the Namibian constitution, we can move forward. Loyalty to an individual should be reserved for family, or those you know very well.

But loyalty to an idea, a set of values, that can be judged against your own ethics, and if it is compatible, that is even more powerful. That is how companies are able to generate identification loyalty, and it is what President Geingob is attempting. With his idea of A Namibian House, President Geingob is trying to dismantle our propensity towards a cult of personality. By making our progress tied to an idea, we can measure it by its words, and measure it to our hearts. If the ideals specified in the Harambee Prosperity Plan aligns with yours, you might start to develop a sense of loyalty. Identification loyalty. And that is necessary for the plan to succeed. 

When a person is excited about something, and feels a sense of accomplishment, a high-five is often initiated. Those who share in that excitement will complete the high-five, and not leave a friend hanging with his hand in the air. It requires giving and showing firm support to a comrade – it requires loyalty. The Harambee Prosperity Plan requires building a Namibian House. It firmly states the Namibia will never leave its citizens hanging. The plan has its hand in the air. Don’t leave it hanging.