OUTAPI – The ruling Swapo Party has finally released its much anticipated election manifesto ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in November. The party has made a number of poll promises, including fighting corruption, addressing the land issue as well as ensuring energy security. Below are some of the promises:
Law and justice
The Swapo-led government, if elected, will in the next five years focus on finalising 445 pending cases and enforce stiffer bail conditions, fines and sentences for corrupt practices.
Water
In the quest to distribute water to various parts of the country, Swapo says it will rehabilitate the Calueque canal and expand the treatment plant at Oshakati to ensure that Namibians are water secure. In addition, the government has also set itself to commence with the development of the Ohangwena aquifer. Other aquifers to be developed, includes Omdel and Kuiseb at the coast, while continuing with the exploration of ground water extraction from the Karst area to ensure that central Namibia has access to water.
Energy
In terms of electricity, once elected into power, the Swapo-led government further seeks to increase local generation capacity to 755 MW by 2021/2022. It also plans to increase rural electrification coverage by 100 percent within the next three years, with the first 50 percent starting next year.
Transport and infrastructure
About 800km of bitumen standard and 1 524 3 km of gravel road is planned for the rest of the country within the next five years. Swapo further plans to rehabilitate and construct 21 driving testing centres across the country. There are further plans to rehabilitate the Keetmanshoop weighbridge, complete the construction of the dual-carriage ways from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International Airport as well as complete the Windhoek-Okahandja and Swakopmund and Walvis Bay dual-carriage ways.
Education and training
The current government has set itself to increase educational funding by 21 percent and to increase the number of schools in the country by 8.6 percent in the next five years.
Health
The government has committed itself to build maternity shelters for expectant mothers across the country in order to reduce maternal deaths. It also plans to fast track the completion of some of the outstanding capital projects at various health facilities.
Land
In order to increase food productivity, the government plans to deliver 687 000 hectares of designated communal agriculture land in Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Oshikoto, Kavango East and Kunene regions.
Housing delivery and sanitation
In terms of housing, government promises to upgrade informal settlements and accelerate land servicing in urban areas. Government has in the last five years constructed 3 958 houses while 874 were built through the Build Together Programme while an additional 1 501 were built through the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia.
Children and women
Government seeks to reduce teenage pregnancies by 30 percent by 2025.