RUNDU – The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has ridiculed the Rundu Town Council (RTC) for not having their own office to operate from, and thus requesting government to assist them with building a new facility.
LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi labelled the councillors at the town as weak, whining wimps with no capacity to fight a good fight to get the town and residents what they deserve.
The LPM believes having a new and befitting space will enhance the council’s operational capacity. “The Rundu Town Council will have to be assisted to construct a new, decent and representative office space for the major political, legal and development agenda. It can’t be right that the second-largest town in this country is operating from an old, dilapidated absestos structure, which does not avail itself to a decent working environment,’’ Swartbooi said during a media conference held at Rundu on Tuesday.
“This council’s office space can’t be said to be convenient for the mandate that is bestowed upon the council,” he added.
The council operates from an old, rundown facility belonging to the ministry of works, which they share with the Namibian Police, ministry of environment, and ministry of gender equality and child welfare, among others.
The LPM further implored the council to make land available to the San community in Rundu.
“We have been reliably informed by our alliance partner, the Rundu Urban Community Association (RUCA), that the San community in Rundu do not have land, and are being treated as second-class citizens here,” Swartbooi charged.
He stressed that land remains one of the socio-economic factors affecting the social mobility of people in Namibia, and Rundu town is no exception.
“During our engagements with our local leaders, we have observed that the town council has employed a capitalist approach of destroying the shacks of the poor, downtrodden and impoverished, without any reparation paid to the victims for their decision,’’ he said.
“We find this practice to be inhumane, unlawful, and a means to destroy the social fabric of society. Land is an important social and economic aspect of life. It is the main means of production. It is the central umbilical cord with citizenship, and denying or depriving citizens legitimate access to land ownership is an unacceptable act,’’ he emphasised.
Swartbooi condemned the actions of the RTC, saying these are tantamount to keeping the inhabitants of Rundu in abject poverty, and in particular the old lady whose house was demolished and whose land was sold without her consent and knowledge.
“The RTC must return the land to the old aunty, or settle her in new and comparable land as the previous land she owned. We will pursue this matter forward,’’ he warned.
As Rundu is the second-largest human settlement in Namibia, and given the population numbers and the growing population rates, Swartbooi said there is an urgent need for central government to invest greater and sustained amounts of money into the development of the town.
“Roads, sewer systems, water infrastructure development (as the water pressure is often not sufficient to supply the western areas of the town), housing provision, more schools and other associated education institutions, as well as better public health facilities in all suburbs of the sprawling location called Rundu (are needed),’’ he stated.
“Land becomes a scarcity, especially serviced land. The informal settlements are gigantic in this town. Thus, the urgent and massive electrification of informal settlements is needed so that people’s livelihoods can improve by starting their own small businesses, as well as helping children to study under electric light rather than the candle.
“As the LPM party, we welcome the 2024 national budget that was tabled on 28 February 2023 by minister Iipumbu Shiimi. We are of the view that although the budget has reflected a slight increase, we vehemently believe that the budget does not answer the question of socio and economical restorative justice,’’ he continued.
Swartbooi indicated that any national budget should respond to the growing needs, socio-economic status and population of any country. However, he said for the past years, there have been discrepancies in the allocation of money from the national budget.
“Rundu, despite its growing population, has been receiving the lowest chunk of the budget, compared to less densely- populated areas. This is an injustice and deliberate attempt to impoverish the people of Rundu,’’ he stressed.
New Era tried to get comment from Rundu mayor Gabriel Kanyanga on the LPM statement, but he was unreachable on his phone.