Windhoek
Government said on Friday that the land and housing problem prevailing across the country needs a comprehensive and sustainable solution instead of quick-fix tactics.
Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said this at a press conference on Friday, while announcing Cabinet resolutions on the recommendations of the Special Cabinet Committee on Land and Related matters. (The full statement of the Cabinet committee appears on page 7 of this edition.)
Nandi-Ndaitwah used the occasion to urge those with problems, whether related to land or not, to knock on the doors of government: “Land is what we fought for, therefore in addressing the land problem there should be no shortcuts. We need to make sure the solution is a sustainable one,” she said.
The deputy PM urged the public to remain calm as government addresses a number of wide-ranging challenges facing the country. “We cannot solve your problems if you don’t talk to us. As your government, we will always listen to you.”
“We understand the plight of the people, but solving problems is a process which needs to be [carefully] undertaken to ensure that everyone is happy in the end,” she said.
In a related development, the long-awaited meeting between the ruling party and the Affirmative Repositioning movement (AR) is expected to take place today.
Swapo Political Bureau committee member, Sophia Shaningwa made the announcement on Friday at the same event. “As you know the chairperson was out of the country but she is back now. We will meet them [AR] on Monday,” she said.
The special Swapo committee was scheduled to meet the land activists last Thursday, but the meeting could not take place because committee chairperson, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, was out of the country.
The meeting between Swapo and AR comes less than three weeks before scores of landless people plan to forcefully occupy land across the country. AR lynchpin, Job Amupanda said they are ready to meet the committee despite last week’s cancellation.
The committee set up by the Swapo party to deal with the demands of the AR group, includes Minister of Justice Dr. Albert Kawana, Utoni Nujoma (Minister of Land Reform) and Attorney-General Sacky Shanghala.
New Era has meanwhile learnt that AR laid a complaint with Iivula-Ithana in her capacity as committee chairperson after the Attorney-General was quoted in the Windhoek Observer on Friday edition as saying that “if the threats of the aspiring criminals manifested themselves in unlawful acts, they would meet the full force of the law.”
It is understood that AR wants Iivula-Ithana to immediately remove Shanghala from the committee. “How can we enter into discussions with someone who already has preconceived ideas about us and is calling us aspiring criminals?” Amupanda asked.