About the State of the Nation

VUKA WRITES:

I am glad that everything started off on a very good mood, although there were slight misrepresentations towards the end of the questions and answers session during the State of the Nation speech.

The nation was reminded that we aren't yet out of the woods of Covid-19 in which we have demonstrated that we can aggressively fight doom and gloom for what we need.

A clarion call was made to strengthen our governance architecture and that we shouldn't rest until our aspirations and expectations are met. We were informed about policy priorities outlined in the Harambe PPII, National Strategic Plan & Action on Corruption, approved recently by Cabinet. I hope this one is not for the "small fishes" alone.

I wholeheartedly welcome the digital system for Legal Aid applications, which is reportedly at an advanced stage.

The president, however cautioned that respectful robust engagements are needed to achieve all this. He added that subsequent interventions are underway and apt recovery plans will be implemented when necessary.

Furthermore, the president has highlighted a number of achieved capital investments and those in the pipeline, viz. a diesel power plant at Walvis Bay, the damage caused by wildfires to grazing land and the promising short & medium term spin- offs of the envisaged green hydrogen project, anticipated to address youth unemployment.

I've heard something quite interesting, that the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) was allocated funds to establish a "business resume fund", since the economy can't absorb all the youth as well as a N$200m Environmental Investment Fund (EIF). It's worth mentioning that the process of application is too complicated, complex, cumbersome, with too high requirements and criterion etc. which eventually disqualifies the most needy applicant companies and individuals.

The other good news was that no "prior experience" will be required from new public service entrants, as this would help to break the circle of poverty and unemployment.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

I liked the terminology used by Cde. President that the citizens are the greatest assets of the country. This in my view means that leaders should remember that they are the servants of the people, that they should be held accountable by the people, that they are only there for the people and that they should stop disregarding their subjects, inhabitants, citizens and the electorate in general.

Government's new genocide negotiation team should be well representative of all the sectors, the affected groups and the beneficiaries etc. I liked the terminology "conflicts begins when diplomacy fails".

In that context, I would like to use this platform to lament and condemn the Government's continues ignoring of ordinary people's legitimate and genuine concern letters, grievances and complaints about issues affecting them directly or indirectly, viz. in traditional leadership tussles and choices of chiefs and heads of traditional communities etc.

I tend to concur with Hon. Venaani that the "opulent have's" are the biggest plunderers of public resources and funds through corrupt means. This is actually causing that the deficit gap between the rich and the poor are too wide. Now, what could be done to narrow the GDP per capita rate in the country?

To me the reshuffling of corrupt ministers is just a new "political deception and a protection jacket", as we have a very small pool from the ruling party's side to appoint ministers from.

I think Cde. Geingob and Hon. Swartbooi at least agree on one point: that people don't eat buildings on which the government is spending millions of Namibia Dollars.

I shed precious tears for the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme's emerging black commercial farmers, who had to buy back their birth rights in the form of expensive land.

Nowadays, these farmers are the perennial victims of the threats of land dispossession etc. We must preach what we are teaching and learn to put our words into action.