SWAKOPMUND – Swakopmund resident and candidate for the upcoming Swakopmund constituency by-election Roger Dausab said fighting systemic racism as well as finding ways to grow the grassroots economy in Swakopmund is one of the main reasons he decided to take part in the election.
Speaking to New Era just days before the Swakopmund by-election, the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) backed candidate said he believes that there needs to be a leader that looks out for the community.
“There is nothing special about me, apart from being passionate about community issues and fighting for social injustice to bring about change in the form of decent housing, economic opportunities and service delivery to our people,” he said.
Therefore, he said, Swakopmund needs someone that knows the struggle of ordinary residents, street vendors, taxi operators and everyone that tries to make a living in the simplest ways.
“I came from the streets. I know how to hustle in DRC, on the pavements or a bus and taxi loading master,” said the candidate.
He said wants to tackle systemic racism in Swakopmund, as it is a growing concern.
According to him, many are turning a blind eye to racism and don’t even want to acknowledge it.
“Just the other day, a man deposited N$11 000 for a vehicle, but the vehicle was sold by the auction company to another person and they refused to return the money to the black man. Instead, they called security companies and the police on him. I am talking about this type of racism. People are being abused and yet we are turning a blind eye on it,” Dausab said.
He added that he also wants to raise more awareness on the importance of grassroots businesses such as small spaza shops that not only grow the country’s economy but have become the livelihood of many unemployed people.
“These are the type of businesses we need to support. I know that the budget for constituency offices is very little, but the aim is to align our people with the relevant institutions. You don’t need money to do all this but should rather be able to solve social issues through dialogue,” Dausab said.
edeklerk@nepc.com.na