By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
WINDHOEK – Launching its election manifesto on Saturday, the DTA of Namibia president McHenry Venaani promised to end what he termed a “kambashu republic” and raise monthly old-age pensions to N$1 500.
Addressing close to 300 cheering DTA supporters who gathered at John Ya Otto Staduim in Wanaheda, Venaani said the party wants to see that every Namibian has a home.
“We will provide better housing for our citizens,” he said.
However his speech was disrupted by the crowd’s cheering former DTA leader Katuutire Kaura who arrived 45 minutes late.
Venaani continued that if elected into power the party would introduce a resettlement scheme in urban areas, resettle families on farms and service land for the poor so that poor families can have erven.
“I am sitting here with colleagues from Gobabis, they have been pushed around. Havana, Ombili everywhere poor people have been pushed around because government has failed to make properties available to the poor,” he told the enthusiatic crowd.
He said if elected into power the DTA would make sure all poor people have access to property in urban centres.
“The party resettlement programme will make sure that every family that has been living for more than ten years in a particular area will get that land,” he said, adding that land is going to be serviced and then given to them.
He said currently all the people in the east of Windhoek have nothing apart from living in “kambashus” for more than 20 years which do not even belong to them.
“Once elected into power we will make sure the poor get land in urban centres,” he repeated.
On education, Venaani said the DTA would set up massive open online courses, adding that it was something currently not happening.
“Open learning where mothers can study for free while they are housewives and gain more skills to propel our economy,” he said, adding this is being done in many other countries and distance learning and massive open learning are the key to provide education to the elderly.
He stressed that education would receive serous priority. “We are the only party that envisages giving solar laptops to young schoolchildren for them to become IT competitive,” he said.
“Rwanda is a great example, where 65 percent of children in that country are provided with solar laptops and are becoming IT competitive,” said Venaani in a confident mood.
On health, Venaani said the DTA would provide a clear mandate to provide universal health care that is not only accessible and affordable, but also effective and reduces spending for the common man.
Venaani said the DTA would modernise government hospitals, upgrade infrastructure and technologies.
According to the manifesto, the party will also increase the number of medical and para-medical colleges to make Namibia self-sufficient in human resources.