JOSEPH KALIMBWE : OPENS UP

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By: Selma Iipinge

Following the expulsion of Joseph Kalimbwe UNAM SRC President. We as students met him.

Selma Iipinge (SI): Tell us your background life. Who is Kalimbwe?

Joseph Kalimbwe (JK) : Well, I was born in 1993 to Ms. Florence Lubinda. She had been born & spent her early childhood in Katima Mulilo. I really don't know anything about my father, Mr. Kalimbwe. I was 2 - 3 years when he died. When he died, his son's and daughter distanced themselves from me and apparently some of them wanted nothing to do with me.

SI: Does it hurt you that your father, his sons (your brothers) & family left? Many people call you Kalimbwe but you don't know your father.

JK: Its not my fault that i do not know the man whose surname i carry. He died when i was 2 and his sons, my brothers left. I cannot force them, if they made that decision. It maybe that they felt it fit to.

No, not at all. I don't know why my so called brothers have never wanted me but it really don't matter. Am extremely greatful to my mum's family for not just raising me but for teaching me life. My mum also passed away when I was 11 and it was painful to see her die. But she raised me, my brother and cousins well.

SI: So Kalimbwe both your parents are not alive?

Jk: Yes, my father died when I was 2 and my mum when I was 11. But i cannot start crying because they died. Sometimes it just hurts me to think of how my mum died, she was a single mum and struggled while I was very little to appreciate her presence. On my mother's side, I have a very caring brother. But again I used to think a lot as to why my father's sons rejected me. It pains sometimes when I think of that. But i have to pick myself up.

SI: Who raised you since your parents died when you were little?

Jk: My uncle took after me. My aunt here in Windhoek also took after me. They had been very worried when my mum (their sister) died leaving behind a small boy so they took up the responsibility & raised me like their own.

SI: Sorry for the loss of your parents. People want to hear about your leadership. Tell us about that! You have a lot of influence with UNAM students some of whom regard you a hero. We saw them singing your name the other day. Are you an activist?

JK: I don't know if am an activist or not but I know that am Joseph Kalimbwe. And like any other person, I entitled to my personal opinions. I just don't like when poor young people are left without a strong voice.

I think my leadership began when I was 17. I worked in the street & it was there I came face to face with true injustice. People have this perception that those who work and sale things in the street & not really human. Sometimes people you know would bypass you and wouldn't want to return your greating just so their friends would not ask how they know you. It was sad, it gave a rude awakening. Taught me the realities of life & the everyday struggles of people.

I then worked for a very wealth company and our boss used to enrich himself at the expense of voiceless us. We would make a lot of many and receive rubbish at the end of the month. My young colleagues used to complain a lot but we were all not brave enough to confront the Old man while he continued to dine at expensive restraunts. I knew the complaints of my colleagues behind the Old man's back would not help us with anything. It's like I call you Selma as selfish but am not brave enough to tell that in your face. So I asked my young colleagues what we could do and they said nothing, "we should just complain in our hearts".

I then decided it was enough, I rallied my colleagues to stop the selfish behaviour of our boss. I then asked him why he was paying us so little while we made a lot of money. I doubt he expected me to say that, but it was getting too much. I then told my colleagues that we needed to report the boss to his superiors. Some of them were sceptical about what would happen after. But they followed him and had to pay back for his conducts. When he returned, he got very furious with me that I was trying to stop him from eating his bread. So he fired me and asked me to leave the company alongside my other colleagues. Those who remained stated to receive a very well increased payment. Even though our boss got furious, we got to make him understand that it cannot be that we are expected to be silent when he is mistreating us. I was only 17 then but I think that was the moment I was awakened to see a world beyond me. To understand that I should not just care about my problems, other people's problems are equally important and they need to be addressed. To set our personal differences aside to achieve a common good.

SI: So you told your friends to stop the corruption of your boss and you guys were 17 year olds. Is it true that you have written books? I heard some students saying that in the Dining Hall on Monday.

JK: Yes I been fortunate enough to write two books. I wrote my first book at 18, a few months after our issues of making a lot of money for our boss. I had seen during that period how so many young people have unrealistic expectations of the future. Some thought they immediately land into a high paying job after school. Others thought they would rise to stardom immediately after watching Drake or become a singer and start making lots of money over night. So I wrote a book titled "Teenagehood & the Impact of the Western World". The book bassically talks about how young people deep in Sub Saharan Africa think they can succeed overnight because of what they watch on television.

My second book is titled, "The Pain of An Empty Stomach". That one is political (laughs). I wrote about how governments tend to forget their very reasons of existence. Where politicians and leaders alike go to people before the elections and make huge promises but then go to their offices after they win and turn their back on the people that got them into office. Self enrichment instead of quality strong leadership become the order of the day. In turn the ruled lose faith in the system and begin to think nothing can be done about it. But then no one will come and help us change things for us. If we continue to complain in our bedrooms, it's better to just look for a seat behind the bus and enjoy a rough ride if you don't want your complaints to be accompanied with a plan of changing the status quo.

SI: I was also checking your name on the internet & I found several of your newspaper articles. How do you do it?

JK: I have always believed writing is a vital tool we must use to educate one another. I wrote several of them, including the two books. But then we do ourselves no favours in failing to acknowledge that this generation of yours isn't really interested in writing or reading. So I thought, I should not just write newspaper articles and editorials, should get involved in the actual search for change.

SI: That's Inspirational. Why do you think students follow/love you so much? Some are saying they never seen a UNAM SRC President like you while others even sing your name. Hundreds of them were following you on campus. They all just love you. What did you give them?

JK: Well, maybe they have been given reasons to believe in what they could not before. We are all young people hoping for a better tomorrow. They can see where they "perhaps" had been blind. Am merely but an individual struggling with my own ideas. I have sometimes made misdeeds but I have become a man in the process. To stand for the principles upon which I was discovered.

SI : We heard you were arrested by the Namibian Police. And still students followed you to jail and were only prevented by police. What happened.

JK: Unfortunately, I cannot comment on that. Perhaps after 24th August 2017 I will.

SI: Do you think UNAM will change?

JK: No comments. But i love it whole heartedly.

SI: Mmmm Kalimbwe thank you very much. We love you my President.

JK: (Laughs), you're welcome Selma.

This is a satirical website. Don't take it Seriously. It's a joke.