NEEEF and the empowerment debate 0 Government’s New Equitable Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) has been hotly debated in recent months, and has been classified by some as being too complicated. The primary purpose of NEEEF is to promote equitable, inclusive and shared economic development. One of the controversial empowerment pillars seeks to give blacks a tangible stake in mainstream businesses with a minimum requirement of 25% ownership. This, according to authorities, will help narrow income disparities between the haves and the have-nots leading up to Vision 2013 and beyond. The bill, however, has not been well received by many white-owned business people, with some already threatening to invest their cash in other countries. For many years government has struggled to come up with a respectable policy as far as black empowerment is concerned. We too agree that NEEEF is not perfect in its current form. However, there is not much time left to still grapple with a strategy for black empowerment considering blacks are still cut off from the mainstream economy. It is sad that those who are against NEEEF are primarily well-off whites who unfortunately don’t seem to give a damn as far as the mass upliftment of the black majority is concerned. Let us not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. Yes, we totally agree that NEEEF should tackle significant redistributive measures in order to offer much hope for struggling Namibians rather than just empowering the already empowered. What is needed is a programme that is about redistribution of skills, resources and wealth. The authorities should never sell this NEEEF idea as a quick way to riches without too much effort. For NEEEF to succeed it must be done in an orderly manner and help level the playing field by drawing the black majority into all levels of the economy, including as employers and supervisors. It is high time that something is done to address past imbalances.NEEEF and the empowerment debate 0 Government’s New Equitable Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) has been hotly debated in recent months, and has been classified by some as being too complicated. The primary purpose of NEEEF is to promote equitable, inclusive and shared economic development. One of the controversial empowerment pillars seeks to give blacks a tangible stake in mainstream businesses with a minimum requirement of 25% ownership. This, according to authorities, will help narrow income disparities between the haves and the have-nots leading up to Vision 2013 and beyond. The bill, however, has not been well received by many white-owned business people, with some already threatening to invest their cash in other countries. For many years government has struggled to come up with a respectable policy as far as black empowerment is concerned. We too agree that NEEEF is not perfect in its current form. However, there is not much time left to still grapple with a strategy for black empowerment considering blacks are still cut off from the mainstream economy. It is sad that those who are against NEEEF are primarily well-off whites who unfortunately don’t seem to give a damn as far as the mass upliftment of the black majority is concerned. Let us not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. Yes, we totally agree that NEEEF should tackle significant redistributive measures in order to offer much hope for struggling Namibians rather than just empowering the already empowered. What is needed is a programme that is about redistribution of skills, resources and wealth. The authorities should never sell this NEEEF idea as a quick way to riches without too much effort. For NEEEF to succeed it must be done in an orderly manner and help level the playing field by drawing the black majority into all levels of the economy, including as employers and supervisors. It is high time that something is done to address past imbalances.