The Namibian General Election 2014 was conducted peacefully.

This is an
important sign of political stability. Political stability requires that the public
interact freely and openly with legislators on a regular basis. Granting
individuals a say in how a nation is run enhances the stability of the region. A
stable political scene is one where the ruling government is favoured by the
population and does not experience strong indicators of social unrest.

Political stability and economic development are deeply interconnected. The

relationship between economic growth and stability refers to the manner in
which the political stability of a nation can lead to its economic growth. The
common denominator and the most obvious relationship between economic
growth and stability is the fact that a stable environment fosters economic
growth.

The uncertainty associated with an unstable political environment may reduce

investment and the speed of economic development. On the other hand, poor
economic performance may lead to government collapse and political unrest. A
politically unstable environment usually means that the government is misusing
or mismanaging the country’s resources: resources are not being used to their
full capacity, or in a manner whereby economic development could be
maximized. It is also right that if a country’s political environment is volatile,
this will deter investors, foreign trade and economic development.

One of the ways in which economic growth and political stability are related is in
the area of investment. No company or individual, whether local or
international, will feel comfortable making any kind of capital investment in any
country where the political climate is characterised by upheavals and a lot of
uncertainty. This is because such a risky investment would go against the main
aim of making profits since there would be a marked lack of guarantee as to the
safety of the investments. When local businessmen refrain from making any
significant investment in their economies, such a situation will affect the
economy as a whole.
Foreign direct investment also plays an important role in the development of an
economy. This shows a link between economic growth and stability because a
country with a low rating in terms of stability will not be a source of attraction
for investors looking for international markets in which to invest. An example
can be seen in the area of tourism, because when there is a lack of stability in
the economy there will be little investments in the form of hotels, tourist
attractions and commercial airlines. The result of this is a reduction in the
number of employed people and a lower turnover rate for much-needed
finances to facilitate economic development.

Namibia enjoys political stability for the past 25 years, which encouraged many
foreign investors including Chinese ones. A typical example of this is the rapid
growth of the town Oshikango where foreign investors, mainly Chinese,
contributed to fast infrastructure development and prosperity of the border
town.

China’s political stability attributes to the great social, economic and cultural
development. The first thing the Chinese did in 1949 when Chairman Mao’s
Communist Party took over was to create political institutions to cater for one
unitary state out of all the diverse populations in the country. The communist
political ideology was paramount to build that unitary state. The Chinese ruling
Communist Party and other political parties (China doesn’t have opposition
parties as in Namibia or elsewhere) work together for the same goal to establish
a prosperous and stable society for the benefit and wellbeing of the people. To
the Chinese government, unity and a politically stable environment are always
first items on their agenda. Chinese as a culture value more than any other
nations unity, stability and integrity. Building stable political institutions and
environments make it possible for China to concentrate on economic
development resulting in it being the largest economy in the world now.

In Africa in general, political instability is the biggest challenge to African

governments and people. Many African countries are rated low in terms of
stability. There are types of political instability in Africa: revolutionary
movements to change the rules of the political game and redistribute power and
property, separatist movements, political assassinations, mass murders,
kidnappings, extortion and violence, strikes, especially politically motivated
strikes, demonstrations for regime change or specific issues, complete political
breakdown and civil wars. The leading causes of such instability include ethnic
fragmentation and/or historic friction; ethnic dominance and historic friction;
the strength of “primordial loyalties” (kinship and clan); secessionist impulses;
conflict over resource wealth; ineffective or predatory government actions;
political inexperience and worsening economic difficulties.

African instability itself explains why Africa still lags far behind other parts of the
world in terms of economic development. Thus we need to develop political
institutions in such a manner that there is an even playing field and
accountability.

Where stability prevails, economic development prospers as we witness in

Namibia. Since political instability has a major impact on development, policy
formulation should therefore attempt to be “stabilizing”. That is, policies should
not disrupt political stability; policies should be fair and equitable across
regions, ethnic and income groups; implementation of policies must be careful
and politically wise. This done, we will lay a solid foundation for potential
economic development.

• Professor Ganfu Yang is an expert on intercultural communication and

previously worked as a Chinese language lecturer at the University of Namibia.