Water en vuur
Op Vrydag se voorblad is die basiese kragte van water en vuur doelbewus gejukstaponeer om basiese vraagstukke en kontraste in baie dele van Namibië uit te lig.
En sulke kwessies keer klokslag op die voorgrond terug.
Die grondoorsaak: Probleme in ons land word net nooit effektief aangespreek en opgelos nie.
Die plaaslike owerheid van Katima Mulilo se flou poging om vure oor die afbrand van ‘n belangrike sakekern op die rivierdorp dood te slaan, grens aan kriminaliteit. Water het hul nié om op die vuur uit te giet nie.
Simbolies sukkel ons leiers om vele krisisse die hoof te bied. In die meeste gevalle ontbreek vlam en rook, maar die moontlikheid van dodelike vernietiging nie.
Die skuldkrisis waarin talle plaaslike owerhede verkeer, duur reeds jare. Die staat se eie wanbetaling vererger die krisis – en stel die verkeerde voorbeeld. Die regering bly straffeloos tot die spiere so elke af en toe vir hom gebult word.
Die armoede, werkloosheid en dakloosheid in ons land, die stand van sekere staatsondernemings, die onvermoë om beleggings te lok wat mense se lewens werklik verander, die stand van onderwys en gesondheid asook verskeie ander uitdagings is alles brande wat salig voortknetter.
Soos ontleders uitgelig het, kan pres. Hage Geingob nie die vure wat in Swapo brand heeltemal van die regering en landsadministrasie losmaak nie. Sulke kulkunsies werk net nie meer nie.
Is ons leiers gereed vir die uiters dapper en ingrypende besluite wat nodig is om Namibië uit die puin van ‘n resessie en die coronapandemie te laat herrys?
So sê ander
28 Februarie 2021
Desperate Times, Creative Measures
Millions of Americans are approaching a grim anniversary: one year without paid work.
Unemployment is traumatic. The evidence also shows the damage caused by unemployment compounds with time.
After the 2008 crisis, experts who argued that long-term unemployment might be irreversible proved to be wrong. (But) . . . relying on growth may not be good enough. Some low-wage workers are particularly vulnerable to replacement by automation.
The Biden administration did not include funding for retraining programs in its $1.9 trillion coronavirus package. That is a mistake Congress can correct.
The government can also help to drive job creation by delivering major investment in infrastructure.
Another intriguing way to help workers, which can be deployed in combination with training, is to subsidize job creation by supplementing wages for new hires.
Last year, the government concluded that some of the programs had produced sustained increases in employment and earnings. There were other benefits, too, like stabilizing homes for children and reducing criminal activity.
The way to help as many people as possible is to build on past successes and to improve on past failures. Since this will not be the last economic crisis, by next time the government may have learned what is necessary to help people return to work.
• THE NEW YORK TIMES
En sulke kwessies keer klokslag op die voorgrond terug.
Die grondoorsaak: Probleme in ons land word net nooit effektief aangespreek en opgelos nie.
Die plaaslike owerheid van Katima Mulilo se flou poging om vure oor die afbrand van ‘n belangrike sakekern op die rivierdorp dood te slaan, grens aan kriminaliteit. Water het hul nié om op die vuur uit te giet nie.
Simbolies sukkel ons leiers om vele krisisse die hoof te bied. In die meeste gevalle ontbreek vlam en rook, maar die moontlikheid van dodelike vernietiging nie.
Die skuldkrisis waarin talle plaaslike owerhede verkeer, duur reeds jare. Die staat se eie wanbetaling vererger die krisis – en stel die verkeerde voorbeeld. Die regering bly straffeloos tot die spiere so elke af en toe vir hom gebult word.
Die armoede, werkloosheid en dakloosheid in ons land, die stand van sekere staatsondernemings, die onvermoë om beleggings te lok wat mense se lewens werklik verander, die stand van onderwys en gesondheid asook verskeie ander uitdagings is alles brande wat salig voortknetter.
Soos ontleders uitgelig het, kan pres. Hage Geingob nie die vure wat in Swapo brand heeltemal van die regering en landsadministrasie losmaak nie. Sulke kulkunsies werk net nie meer nie.
Is ons leiers gereed vir die uiters dapper en ingrypende besluite wat nodig is om Namibië uit die puin van ‘n resessie en die coronapandemie te laat herrys?
So sê ander
28 Februarie 2021
Desperate Times, Creative Measures
Millions of Americans are approaching a grim anniversary: one year without paid work.
Unemployment is traumatic. The evidence also shows the damage caused by unemployment compounds with time.
After the 2008 crisis, experts who argued that long-term unemployment might be irreversible proved to be wrong. (But) . . . relying on growth may not be good enough. Some low-wage workers are particularly vulnerable to replacement by automation.
The Biden administration did not include funding for retraining programs in its $1.9 trillion coronavirus package. That is a mistake Congress can correct.
The government can also help to drive job creation by delivering major investment in infrastructure.
Another intriguing way to help workers, which can be deployed in combination with training, is to subsidize job creation by supplementing wages for new hires.
Last year, the government concluded that some of the programs had produced sustained increases in employment and earnings. There were other benefits, too, like stabilizing homes for children and reducing criminal activity.
The way to help as many people as possible is to build on past successes and to improve on past failures. Since this will not be the last economic crisis, by next time the government may have learned what is necessary to help people return to work.
• THE NEW YORK TIMES
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