Dear Sir

I read Premier Nahas Angula’s interview with New Era of Friday 21 December 2007. Its main headline was “PM Reflects on 2007” and on page 6-7 of his interview the article was titled: “We should pull up our socks”.  Many of the responses given by the PM are nothing new from what the Swapo Government’s reactionary arguments have been and the nation is used to that.  
I read his response to the first question with tears in my eyes.  A question was asked: “How would you rate Government’s performance this year?”  The response was: “If I were to rate Government’s performance, I would say it was above average…” What do I need to believe then when the PM continued and said: “However, challenges remain these are the high levels of unemployment, high levels of poverty, the high income disparity according to the household survey of last year…” Can a government that cannot reduce “the high levels of unemployment, poverty and income disparity” be described as “stable, pragmatic and performing above average?”  I am honestly shocked by these rough characterizations!  Has the PM bothered to read if not to consider the human rights report of 2007 with its recommendations to Government?  This is the very same premier who has told the nation in the course of these years that “the way our economy is distributed is scandalous” and “unemployment in this country is a ticking bomb”.  Was he then joking with the nation? If the Government’s performance was last year seen as having improved in its service delivery, then the ordinary people are expected to feel or see that through the safe and affordable water, health institutions with required medication, an increasing passing rate through qualitative education, a humanely environment in prison and justice delivered on time than delays which are tantamount to its denial.  Is Hon. Angula aware that corruption has increased with the “missing” monies running into billions (N$2.2b)?   
The leader of government business cannot ignore that the following, public issues of concerns have not yet been solved; the ex-combatants’ issue, the shebeen saga, the Kavango cattle – herding conflict, The Liambezi River conflict (Mafwe – Masubia sugar plantation conflict), the Mbanderu tribal conflict and the missing persons and the International Criminal Court’s investigation. Do the entire above, make up the full enjoyment of the basic human rights?  Come on, Mr. Premier!  r. Angula should have been the person in Namibia to be disappointed that the freedom of speech and expression and the independence of the media were on many occasions threatened by the people acting in defence of their interests in the ruling Swapo Party.  The government is still hanging on The Namibian newspaper’s ban since the Nujoma era.  Is that part of the improved performance?  e are still waiting for the police to be given enough resources in order to bring the B1 Butcher to book! Another interesting part of the PM’s interview was a question, which asked: “How is Government managing intra-party relationships?”  The Premier responded as follows among other things: “…There is a tendency emerging whereby our democracy is being ‘bantustanised’.  People are going back to Bantustans, forming parties on an ethnic basis.  This is unfortunately why we fought tooth and nail against apartheid.”  Mr. Angula’s concern was however resolved by himself when he afterwards responded that, “The Government has institutions in place”.   If people feel aggrieved and think that they have “bantustanised” Namibia, Mr. Angula included, they should go to the Ombudsman or Anti-Corruption Commission.  If these fail, they can go to the courts.  The Namibian institutions are built around the concept of checks and balances”. If the Premier is really and seriously talking about the Swapo Party itself degenerating into “a bantustanised group, a political clique, a language or ethnic group”, then he is only shedding crocodile’s tears because this is now water under the bridge.  President (Hifikepunye) Pohamba has already declared that all the congress delegates to the fourth congress were united and happy with everything that took place there.  Is he admitting that the ship is sinking and dismantling into pieces?  Similarly, Minister of Finance, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, declared in Parliament, in her a closing remark for 2007, that “It does not matter if some passengers are jumping out of the ship.  It is comfortably sailing through and progressing”. Does the PM feel at home (in Swapo) or he wants to jump out too?  The only problem I am seeing in the Premier is his inability to put theory into practice.  

N. Nakandunga, Namibi

Dear Editor,

When one of the English dailies reported on 21 December 2007, that, “Omuthiya had become Oshikoto’s second town”, my mind flashed back to the nation of Namibia being a unitary, secular and democratic State.  I have carried out my own investigation on the deteriorating socio-economic situation and its impact on local businesses in the northern part of Namibia.  The emerging new towns have raised concern in that we are either planning to fail or failing to plan.  Who gets consulted on these matters anyway? We have another emerging town of Ongwediva which has even overshadowed the old towns of Ondangwa and Oshakati.  Ondangwa was used as the apartheid headquarters for the Owamboland where Commissioners or Administrators for the Indigenous People, like Mr. Jan De Wet, was “residing”.  There were beautiful trees, bushes, lawns, swimming pools, fences, gates and play grounds which were “for whites only”.  What had happened to all these and the rest as the black regime took over? Have the apartheid’s developmental infrastructures been dismantled to give way to the independence infrastructural development?  The immovable assets like houses, offices, the halls and the airport have dilapidated completely since independence. The multinational companies, international and state-sponsored companies and politically well-connected and fly-by-night ventures have trampled the indigenous businessmen and women down.  Many, local business people - who were successful in the past, have become history while others are being squeezed out of the market, namely: Punyu, Ondjondjo Store, Nehale Body Works, Nangombe Dhamusheke, Omo, Okangwena, Oluno Cash and Carry, ABC, Nangolo Trading Centre, Star Bakery, Holiday Inn, Good Hope and many others.   Any honest Namibian should have the courage to talk to them and find out their grievances.  hese men and women in business have already laid the foundation for themselves but there hardly seems to be a helping hand from the State.  And yet the very same people who are in charge of the State coffers have not hesitated to dish out public funds to ODC, Avid and other non-starter investments of their acquaintance which swallowed up some N$2.2 billion so far.  What is very painful to these now vulnerable businesspeople is how the Chinese-sponsored businesses are flourishing even in the remotest and or rural areas of this country, knocking the locals down. Instead of giving assistance to our emerging and real previously disadvantaged citizens, they have instead opted to develop their own business ventures and made Ongwediva as a separate town competing with Oshakati which is as far as three to four km away.  Ongwediva town has now become “The Henties Bay of the North”.  Where does the Ongwediva town obtain that magic to flourish and attract investors which Ondangwa/Oshakati towns have failed to do?  It is an open secret that Ongwediva got the full support and backing of the ruling party.  That is the reason why its councillors are not elected but nominated and appointed by the top Swapo Party leadership.  or arguments’ and clarity’s sake, if there are major developments in the north, it must be taking place in Ongwediva than any other place. Why? It is a matter of “when people are trying to go to the moon, we are attempting to go to the village”. Seeing that another purely, political decision was made to establish a town in Omuthiya which is obliviously a communal, informal, marketing centre for the rural residents who can easily turn into the street vendors in that new town.  Many people who found themselves “settled” in Omuthiya are either former nomadic, cattle-herders and or subsistence farmers who are residents of other towns like Outapi, Oshakati, Eenhana, Ondangwa and if not Tsumeb.  ill the relocated residents be given shares in the proposed, proclaimed new town?  The said people have merely come to Omuthiya for seasonal farming.  Who on earth will the town council serve?  Is it the Oshikoto Regional Council and its employees?  This government has already failed to maintain and promote the existing villages, towns and municipal areas, how will it manage the ones that are created in rural areas like Omuthiya?  These reactionary developments will never take this country to greater heights, instead it will bring it closer to the verge of bankruptcy and collapse which will only increase the impoverishment of the local people.

S. Eino Oshikoto Region