Letter to Dr Itula

Cees Strijbis writes:

Dear (IPC) President Dr Ithula

(Hopefully we can delete (IPC) after the 2024 election.)

In a presidential election leaflet (2019) you state: "No residence in State House until 80% of informal settlements are dignified.”

I could not agree more and I am sure this is not a polling promise, you mean and do what you say. But would you not take it a step further and lead a campaign: Declaring the State House complex a building site? (Mayor Job would most likely come up with a new name for the complex: Grosse Kuppe.)

How many families could not be housed in Grosse Kuppe, from informal settlements in Katutura to Grosse Kuppe? The present State House is so unlike Africa, so cold and ugly. It looks like a prison - as if a Chinese or North Korean dictator lives inside "protected" by an even uglier fence.

"Grosse Kuppe" would not need that fence so it could be sold as scrap. If they pay a good price, the Chinese could buy.

The new State House should be friendly, inviting, Namibian, built by our "Rehobothers", designed by Namibian architects, we have so many of them. It should not be build in Windhoek East but close to Katutura. You would know where, Dr Ithula, because you live in Katutura.

The South-West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) will never agree to your statement: "No residence in State House until 80% of informal settlements are dignified", because they still live in South West Africa. They are living in the past and their president says nothing needs to change, apparently not even the name Swapo.

So please, Dr Ithula, lead that campaign. It would be a great start to dignify informal settlements.