Toestande van nood
Hoë verwagtinge word met reg gekoester oor die eerste staatsrede van sy tweede ampstermyn wat pres. Hage Geingob vandag sal lewer.
Politiek uit opposisiehoeke sal vooraf die slegste voorspel. Tog, mag die hoop nie beskaam nie.
Geingob self het tydens sy eerste termyn vernuwing gebring deur af te wyk van jarelange jubelliedere oor wat sedert 1990 vermag is, sonder om gebreke te erken – en duidelike stappe uit te stippel wat ‘n nuwe realiteit sal skep.
Dit is hoe Harambee die lig gesien het. En buiten oor die Fishrot-skandaal, korrupsie en ander vraagstukke wil Namibiërs weet of daar nog enigiets van hierdie “saamtrek” oor is.
Met die onlangse begrotingsrede het Republikein kapsie gemaak teen die mooi woorde sonder dade waaraan burgers al só gewoond geraak het. Enkele verse uit daardie psalm: die herstrukturering en opskerping van die staatsdiens, diversifisering van die ekonomie, werkskepping, nywerheidsontwikkeling, groter mededingendheid, meer plaaslike aankope, én, én, én . . .
Covid-19 het ons gesondheidsgeriewe en onderwysfasiliteite help verbeter. Omdat dit nie anders kon nie, moes die ware toedrag van sake met die publiek gedeel word.
Verwaarlosing en swak bestuur mag nie dié bittermin positiewe gevolge van die pandemie weer in ‘n ommesientjie uitwis nie.
‘n Noodtoestand geld tans. Op vele gebiede verkeer Namibië egter al lank in wisselende grade van nood.
‘n Staatsrede bied geleentheid om die kompas behoorlik te draai om ‘n beter Namibië te skep.
Net dit sal Swapo sterker by die stembus maak as verlede jaar.
So sê ander
2 Junie 2020
Floyd protests call for stronger vaccine against systemic racism
America is battling a virus. A virus called racism.
Like the novel coronavirus, racism infects, spreads and, too often, kills.
Marches and protests, acknowledgments and community outreach, legislation for civil rights and voting rights, better law-enforcement training — they’ve all pointed us to a cure, but only to limited success. Unlike the coronavirus, there will be no simple vaccine for a virus that has been with us for 400 years.
In the wake of the alleged murder of George Floyd, we are in need of something stronger. As a start, root out and fire the bad police who are making the job of good police that much harder.
Sadly, we cannot depend on presidential leadership to get us through this virus outbreak.
We have no patience for the looting and violence. The images of burning police cars serve only to detract from the urgent goal of ending the indiscriminate killing of unarmed black men in our country. Worse, it distracts from the realities of systemic racism that has caused the protesters’ anger, frustration and exhaustion.
How many more deaths do we have to countenance? How many times must we say, “enough is enough”? How many times can we be asked to trust that our leaders will put an end to this?
The answer is not to ask, but to do. It’s time to administer a stronger anti-racism vaccine.
• THE PALM BEACH POST
Politiek uit opposisiehoeke sal vooraf die slegste voorspel. Tog, mag die hoop nie beskaam nie.
Geingob self het tydens sy eerste termyn vernuwing gebring deur af te wyk van jarelange jubelliedere oor wat sedert 1990 vermag is, sonder om gebreke te erken – en duidelike stappe uit te stippel wat ‘n nuwe realiteit sal skep.
Dit is hoe Harambee die lig gesien het. En buiten oor die Fishrot-skandaal, korrupsie en ander vraagstukke wil Namibiërs weet of daar nog enigiets van hierdie “saamtrek” oor is.
Met die onlangse begrotingsrede het Republikein kapsie gemaak teen die mooi woorde sonder dade waaraan burgers al só gewoond geraak het. Enkele verse uit daardie psalm: die herstrukturering en opskerping van die staatsdiens, diversifisering van die ekonomie, werkskepping, nywerheidsontwikkeling, groter mededingendheid, meer plaaslike aankope, én, én, én . . .
Covid-19 het ons gesondheidsgeriewe en onderwysfasiliteite help verbeter. Omdat dit nie anders kon nie, moes die ware toedrag van sake met die publiek gedeel word.
Verwaarlosing en swak bestuur mag nie dié bittermin positiewe gevolge van die pandemie weer in ‘n ommesientjie uitwis nie.
‘n Noodtoestand geld tans. Op vele gebiede verkeer Namibië egter al lank in wisselende grade van nood.
‘n Staatsrede bied geleentheid om die kompas behoorlik te draai om ‘n beter Namibië te skep.
Net dit sal Swapo sterker by die stembus maak as verlede jaar.
So sê ander
2 Junie 2020
Floyd protests call for stronger vaccine against systemic racism
America is battling a virus. A virus called racism.
Like the novel coronavirus, racism infects, spreads and, too often, kills.
Marches and protests, acknowledgments and community outreach, legislation for civil rights and voting rights, better law-enforcement training — they’ve all pointed us to a cure, but only to limited success. Unlike the coronavirus, there will be no simple vaccine for a virus that has been with us for 400 years.
In the wake of the alleged murder of George Floyd, we are in need of something stronger. As a start, root out and fire the bad police who are making the job of good police that much harder.
Sadly, we cannot depend on presidential leadership to get us through this virus outbreak.
We have no patience for the looting and violence. The images of burning police cars serve only to detract from the urgent goal of ending the indiscriminate killing of unarmed black men in our country. Worse, it distracts from the realities of systemic racism that has caused the protesters’ anger, frustration and exhaustion.
How many more deaths do we have to countenance? How many times must we say, “enough is enough”? How many times can we be asked to trust that our leaders will put an end to this?
The answer is not to ask, but to do. It’s time to administer a stronger anti-racism vaccine.
• THE PALM BEACH POST
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