Investigating The Portrayal Of Social Issues In Namibian Post-Independence Poetry Written In English

ABSTRACT

The main focus of this thesis was to examine how social issues are conceived and articulated in a representative selection of Namibian post-independence poetry written in English. Couched on and guided by socio-historicism and postcolonialism, this qualitative study elucidated the socio-political, socio-economic and socio-cultural factors that militate against Namibia’s total liberation as depicted in the selected poems. The study found that the Namibian post-independence experiences and concerns such as; continued poverty, unemployment, corruption among Namibians, as portrayed in the selected poetry are the most prevalent themes that the poets address. The study contends that the poets portray independence as a total failure, politically, economically and culturally. Thus, the poets use poetry as a platform to protest against the prevailing status quo. While poetry on sociopolitical protest portrays how government has failed to deliver on most of its promises because of neo-colonialism and corruption, poetry also socio-culturally protests how independence has compromised the dignity and identity that come with being black. The study has established, through the selected poetry, that identity and culture are central to the attainment of true independence. Finally, poetry on the socio-economic front protests and presents the suffering of the ordinary black Namibian due to unemployment and poverty in the post-independent epoch. Overall, it emerges that post-independence poets are disillusioned by the fruits of independence.